cautious steps
by rumiberri
Summary: because life taught her not to be so naive, so naturally, it would take her longer to fall (in love) [AU][No Magic][Sequel to 10 steps]
1. Chapter 1

**I**t starts with a phone call.

Loud music, intermittent buzzes; a steady beat to a popular pop song.

A figure sits up slowly, dark hair a tangled mess and pajamas ruffled from sleep. She squints her eyes in the direction of the white glow, the screen on the phone the only light visible in the room.

Just as sudden, everything stops, and the jarring silence is a sharp contrast to the earlier noise.

She's about to fall back onto her futon when the phone rings once again. Her irritated sigh is drowned out by the grating ringtone.

She pushes her blankets away and stands. She finds she is too lazy to turn on the light, thoughts still clinging to sleep, and all but stomps over to offending device in the dark.

She immediately regrets her decision as sudden pain shoots up her foot: a miscalculation and a stubbed toe on the bed frame in the middle of the room.

She bites back a cry of pain and moves over to avoid anymore mishaps. Using the phone as a guide, she steps around the bed and is halfway there when it stops, suddenly falling back into silence.

She pauses, waiting to see if that's the end, when music answers that question for her.

The path now between her and the phone is straight ahead. She quickly strides over, intent on maybe throwing the thing out the window.

A few more steps and she reaches for it just as her foot catches on something that shouldn't be on the floor. She stumbles forward, slamming hard onto the wooden dresser and there's a loud crash as it hits the wall.

"Ow..."

The phone is quiet as she leans heavily on the dresser, bruised arms throbbing from her spill.

As if adding insult to her injury, it suddenly rings once more, right into her ear.

"Ugh."

She quickly reaches for it, eyes automatically squinting at the brightness and due to her own nearsightedness. A glance at the name on the screen, another sigh with just as much irritation laced in. She uses the phone like a flashlight to locate where the bed begins, and where the sleeping figure on it lies.

She walks over and grasps the figure's shoulder.

She shakes her lightly. "Madoka. Madoka, wake up."

No response.

She tries, harder this time, as the phone reminds her why she's standing here instead of sleeping.

"Madoka. Madoka, someone's calling you. Madoka."

"Nngh..."

She hears shifting as the shoulder pulls away; Madoka merely turning in her sleep.

She holds out the phone, hoping that the loud noise will wake her up instead.

No such luck.

Another quick shine on the bed and she places a knee onto the mattress. She leans in closer before she lowers her hand on Madoka's shoulder once more.

"Madoka? Madoka."

"...Hmm...?" a sleepy voice finally greets her.

"Madoka, there's a phone call. For you."

"...Homura-chan...?"

Homura refrains from sighing again. "Madoka, your phone."

"...Hmm? Did you... have another nightmare... Homura-chan...?"

"No—"

She hears rustling and the bed moves slightly. "...there... you can sleep... on that side...goodnight, Homura-chan..."

"Mado—" Homura grits her teeth at the annoying ringtone. "I'm going to pick up, okay, Madoka?"

"...mm..."

Taking that as a yes, Homura jabs the receive button on the screen and places the phone to her ear.

"Madoka? Geez, you're still a heavy sleeper, aren't you? Hey, uhm—"

"Miki Sayaka. Is this a life or death situation?"

"H-Homura? Is that—"

"If I hang up right now, will you die?"

"Uhh, where's—"

"Is that a no, Miki Sayaka? Because it is..." Homura has no idea what time it is, "...too early for you to be calling at this time."

"Where's—"

"Goodnight, Miki Sayaka."

"Wait wait wait! Yes, it's a life or death situation!"

Homura pauses, weighing her options. She decides Madoka would be upset if Sayaka died and sighs.

"You have 30 seconds. Explain."

"Uh..."

"25...24..."

"O-Okay! Geez. Long story short, I took the last train to Tokyo but I forgot to reload my credits on my phone so I don't have enough money to pay for the bus fare to get to your place."

"..."

"Homura? You there?"

"...It's only 500yen. How do you not have enough?"

"Uh... well, there was this sale earlier..."

She does not reply. Instead, she raises her free hand to her forehead and tries to massage the forming headache away.

"Hello? Homura? She didn't hang up on me, did she? Hey!"

"...Take a taxi."

"There's the insurance fee. I don't have enough to cover that."

"...How do you not have a waiver for that?"

"Uh... I kind of forgot to pay for it... I don't really use taxis at home, so I kind of forgot it..."

"...Take the uninsured line."

"It's twice as expensive!"

"...Why do I get the feeling you are merely making excuses?"

"..."

"If—"

"Homura... I just—really want to see Madoka right now, alright? Can...can you get her to pick me up? ..._Please_. "

She sighs. "...You are still at the station?"

"Yeah."

"There's a small bar by the station entrance, it's not hard to miss. It'll be one of the only open shops there with a large yellow sign. Go there and wait."

"W-Wha—"

"It is not safe to stay at the station during this time; there has been an increase in crime in the area recently. Walk over there, now, and stay on the line with me until you get there. Are you moving, Miki Sayaka?"

"Uh...Y-Yeah, lemme get my bag..."

Homura can hear rustling in the background.

"O-Okay. By the entrance, you said?"

"Yes. It'll be on your right."

"On my right... okay."

"Mmhmm..."

"Is, uh... Madoka still sleeping?"

"...Do you even need to ask?"

Homura hears Sayaka laugh quietly. "Yeah... she's always been like that, even when we were younger. It's amazing she can wake up in the morning for classes."

Thoughts of Sayaka's earlier visits. "Hm... the same can be said of you as well."

Sayaka scoffs. "Whatev—Oh, yellow sign, right? Tetsuno?"

"Yes. You are underage, but tell them you are merely there to wait for a friend. They won't kick you out."

"Huh." Homura can hear the unasked question in her voice. "Alright."

"Have you arrived?"

"Yeah." More rustling, the sound of a bell and a low muffled voice is heard.

Sayaka's barely audible reply.

More indistinguishable words.

Her voice returns to normal volume. "Yeah, they said I can stay. Uhm. How long until you get here?"

Homura closes her eyes. "Depends on how hard it is to wake her up. 45 minutes, including travel time. Maybe."

"...alright, good luck."

"Yes."

"Uh... Homura?"

She's in the midst of hanging up and places the phone back to her ear. "Yes?"

"Uhm. Thanks."

"...You're welcome. We will be there soon."

"'Kay. Bye."

Click.

Homura turns to where she knows Madoka is sleeping and sighs once more.

Maybe she should've told her an hour... or two.

\\

As Sayaka makes herself comfortable on one of the bar stools, she can't help but look around. Tetsuno is empty, small, and above all else, old. The worn bar counter sits only five people, and makes up almost half of the room. There's two more small tables to the side, a bulky looking TV hanging on the corner of the far wall, and the peeling paint surrounding it makes Sayaka worry about its stability. There's also a large, black boxed object directly below that. Maybe a karaoke machine, considering the microphones lying on top.

"Anything to drink?"

Sayaka turns to regard the bartender, eyes already comparing him to someone else. Dress shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, black tie matching his black slacks. Dark spiky hair and dark brown eyes. A dashing smile.

He looks nothing like _him_ and she relaxes slightly.

He winks at her.

"Like what you see?" His voice is a light and teasing.

She rolls her eyes. "Maybe. But maybe I've seen better."

He grabs his chest and winces. "Ouch, you've got a sharp tongue, eh?"

Friendly banter between two strangers.

"Water, for now, please."

"Sure." He pulls out a clean glass from under the counter and sets that down in front of her. "Ice?"

"Yes, please."

A pitcher fills her glass; the tinkling sound of water and shifting ice cubes fills the room.

"Thank you."

He slides a faded paper over. "We have a full functioning kitchen, in case you are hungry. I recommend the curry; it's today's special."

Her eyes scan the menu and she finds the item listed at the bottom. "'Day old curry?'"

He grins. "The best kind."

"Hmm." She is feeling a bit peckish, though thoughts of why she's even here makes her stomach churn. Not to mention she's a bit wary of their health standards. "Maybe something lighter."

"Bar snacks." His voice is knowing as he points to the top of the menu. "Or," her eyes follow as his hand flips the paper over, "desserts! A girl's best friend!"

"Not diamonds?" but his statement makes her smile for some reason.

He snaps his fingers and she looks up to see him grinning at her. "See, I knew you had a nice smile. A cute girl like you, should remain smiling like that, always."

Beyond friendly; he's downright flirting.

She doesn't mind and her self confidence repairs itself, ever so slightly; if only it was someone else telling her this.

A familiar face flashes in her mind and her smile falters.

"Ahh, there it is again." A finger is waggled in front her face. "Nope, no moping here, not while I'm working. I'll be right back."

She watches as he disappears into the opening behind him, most likely leading to the kitchen. It's quiet enough that she can hear dishes, cabinets being opened and closed and voices exchanged.

He returns and sets down a full bowl of edamame, placing an empty bowl besides that.

"Something light and refreshing for the little lady."

She stares at him and he grins.

"It's on the house." Sensing her hesitation, he leans in almost conspiratorially. "It's really to bring up your appetite. It'll make you hungry and then you'll want to order something else."

She shakes her head even as her lips twitch with amusement. She turns to the edamame and eyes it critically; it looks normal. She reaches for one and uses her fingers to press on the pod, popping three green beans into her mouth.

Lightly salted and cool against her tongue; for some reason, it makes her feel better. Maybe it's because she hasn't eaten all day.

"So." She looks up as her fingers discard the pod into the empty bowl. "I'm a pretty good listener. Wanna talk about it?"

His outright bluntness should make her annoyed, but it doesn't.

"What makes you think something's the matter?" She leans back with a raised eyebrow.

He mirrors her, raising his own. "It's 3am. Saturday. You should be out, partying with friends or cuddling with your boyfriend. Instead you're here, in this dumpy old bar that caters to lonely drunks or office workers who maybe missed their last train back home. Considering the heavy duffel I saw you lugging in, I think you voluntarily came here on your own. Maybe to run away from something."

She sighs, shoulders suddenly heavy as she remembers her situation.

"Come on." He takes an edamame and eats one. "See? We're sharing food. We're friends already."

Her eyes roll but there's a smile on her lips. "Geez, you are insufferable."

He winks.

\\

As soon as the taxi is parked and the door is opened, Madoka steps out with Homura following after her.

"I'll wait out here."

Madoka blinks, but the meter is still running and thinks nothing more of it.

"Okay."

She pulls open the glass door and as a bell rings, she's instantly reminded of a place now close to her heart.

"Welcome! Ahh, another pretty lady. Let me guess, you are her friend?"

Madoka nods as the bartender gestures to the figure sitting at the bar. Even if she didn't have that distinguishable shade of blue hair, Madoka easily recognizes the jacket she's wearing that's emblazoned with the words 'Mitakihara High' on them. Coupled with her usual jeans and brightly coloured sneakers, Sayaka looks exactly the same as when she had seen her a couple months prior.

"Yo, Madoka!" A hand held high in greeting.

"Sayaka-chan." She is glad to see her, but she knows there's a reason she's in Tokyo instead of at home. "Uhm. The taxi is waiting."

"Ahh..." Sayaka sheepishly scratches her head. "Actually, I wasn't sure how long until you'd be here, so I kind of put in an order for curry..."

"It's almost ready!" the bartender throws in helpfully.

Madoka blinks. "...Alright. Let me go tell Homura-chan. I'll be right back."

The door closes after her and Sayaka turns back to the bartender who suddenly has a serious look on his face.

"Homura?"

"Hm?" Sayaka raises a curious eyebrow.

A disarming smile. "Nothing. I'll be right back, gotta check on the curry."

He leaves her alone and Sayaka rests her hands on the counter as she waits for Madoka to return.

It takes a few more minutes than expected. When there's that familiar ring, Sayaka turns and sees Madoka dragging in a reluctant looking Homura, which she finds strange.

Homura had been the one to suggest this place, after all.

The door shuts with a light jangle and they both walk to join Sayaka.

Madoka takes a seat besides her, but Homura remains standing.

"Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka hums and turns to Madoka with a smile. She notes that Madoka still looks sleepy and that her hair is down and messier than usual. Dressed in shorts, a pink hoodie, and socks slipped into a pair of sneakers, just the familiar sight of her makes Sayaka want to cry.

"...I wanted to see you. Sorry, for waking you up." Sayaka glances over to Homura who is dressed just as lightly, except with capri pants and her sweater is grey. A glance down and Sayaka can see her boot clad feet tapping on the floor impatiently. "You too, Homura. Sorry."

Homura shrugs while Madoka looks at Sayaka, eyes searching her face in worry. "...No, it's fine. Sorry I didn't pick up."

They share a smile.

Sayaka slides the menu over to Madoka. "You can order something, if you'd like? Oh. Uhm... You have enough to cover the curry too, right?"

Madoka nods. "Yes, of course."

"I'll definitely pay you back when I get home!" Sayaka promises.

"That's fine," Madoka murmurs, eyes glossing over the selection. "Homura-chan?"

Homura jumps at being addressed. "H-Hm?"

Both of them eye her strangely.

"Are you alright?" Madoka asks, finally noticing how nervous she seems.

"Yes."

A short and simple answer that Madoka is starting to recognize to mean 'No.'

"Are—"

"Here you go, one day old cur—"

They all turn as the bartender reappears with a bowl in his hands.

And watch as his head snaps towards Homura who glances at him warily.

"Uh, Satoshi-san?" Sayaka stares at him and he turns to her with a smile.

"Here you go, one day old curry." He places the curry calmly in front of her, a spoon and napkin placed besides that.

As soon as that is done, the smile slides off his face as he faces Homura.

"You. Where the hell have you been?!"

Homura flinches, immediately stepping back as he pops open the counter to reach her.

Madoka moves to stand, Sayaka following her example, but they both freeze when he merely throws his arms around Homura and hugs her tightly.

"Geez! You—no phone call, no mail! Nothing from you! For three whole months! I stopped by your place—and your roommates told me you moved out!"

Homura struggles to breath and unsuccessfully tries to push him away. She's this close to stepping on his foot when he finally pulls back and places his hands on her cheeks.

"You've lost weight. Have you been eating? Where are you living now? Is everything alright?"

She frowns and slaps his hands away. "I am fine. Stop that."

He eyes her curiously. Her face is flushed and he glances to the side. "They're your friends?"

She doesn't reply and he finally notices that the other two in the room are now staring at him like he's some kind of weirdo.

He grins and ropes his arm around Homura's thin shoulders. "No worries, ladies. This is my baby sister. Who," he glares at her, "likes to disappear for months without telling her family where she is."

Homura shrugs helplessly and Madoka can only blink at her.

Her expectations of Homura's family being... not so nice vanish as she evaluates his friendly grin.

"Ah. Uhm, nice to meet you," Madoka murmurs, eyes searching to see if there's any family resemblance; there isn't. "I'm Kaname Madoka."

"Hikaru Satoshi."

Madoka blinks at his name.

Homura pushes him away and he sighs.

"Stop being so shy, Homu-chan."

There's a cough as Sayaka tries to hide her snicker.

Homura grits her teeth. "Do not call me that."

"Homu Homu~" he repeats with a grin.

"...I will wait outside." She moves to turn away and he grabs her shoulders. He's stronger than her and merely navigates her to the seat next to Madoka.

"Sit." She resists but he manages to push her down onto the stool. "You look like you could eat something. I'll be right back with more curry." He turns to Madoka. "Make sure she stays here, okay, Madoka-chan?" He winks at her and Madoka blushes.

"U-Uhm. A-Alright..."

He points at Homura, giving her another glare before he heads off to the kitchen.

Homura sighs and places her elbows on the counter. She links her hands and rests her forehead on them, seeming real tired all of a sudden.

"...I didn't know your brother worked here, Homura-chan."

Homura moves her head slightly and a lone lavender eye peers at Madoka who looks... she's not quite sure. Hurt, maybe?

"...He's not my real brother."

Satoshi storms out from the kitchen, this time with both his hands full of curry bowls which he balances with precision.

"We are siblings," he reaffirms, almost vehemently.

Homura merely sits up and removes her arms from the bar as a hearty bowl is placed in front of her. "_Half_."

"Details, details," he waves her off. "Anyways, these meals are on me. Eat up!"

"Satoshi—"

"Homura."

A pause, glares, and finally her hand reaches for the spoon.

Satoshi smiles, and turns to Sayaka and Madoka. "Eat up! It tastes best when it's still hot."

"Uhm..." Madoka glances at Homura who is eating, albeit grudgingly, and nods. "A-Alright. T-Thank you, uhm. Hikaru-san..."

"Satoshi is fine!"

"Uhm... S-Satoshi-san..."

He nods and gestures for them to try the curry.

"It's pretty good, right?" He looks around for confirmation.

"Y-Yeah," Sayaka agrees; the atmosphere is weird but the curry is definitely good. "Probably one of the best I've tasted."

Satoshi's eyes seem to light up at the praise. "Thank you. I put a lot of work into developing that recipe to perfection. It's good, right, Homu-chan?"

She ignores him, eyes staring into her curry as she pushes random vegetables around; she's not really hungry and would rather go back to sleep.

"Right, Homu-chan?"

She bites back an exasperated sigh and finally looks at him. "So you are still studying culinary?"

He grins and nods. "Yeah. I wouldn't throw that away that easily."

"Mmhmm..." her eyes return to her bowl.

A hand is shoved in front of her face and she jumps in surprise.

"Give me your phone," he tells her and at the same time, starts rummaging behind the counter for something. A few seconds later, a piece of paper is on the counter, along with a pen. "And write down your new address."

"...It is no business of yours where I am living," she grumbles as she pulls out her phone from her pocket.

He accepts it and stares at her. "Are you on the streets?"

"No."

"So you have a place to live."

"Yes."

"How are you paying for it?"

"...I have a job."

He leans against the counter, eyes narrowed at her. "...You aren't selling your body, are you?"

Their bowls rattle as her hand slams down hard on his.

"Ouch!"

"Stop asking stupid questions."

Madoka and Sayaka can only stare as they see a new side of Homura.

"I just wanted to make sure." He turns to regard Sayaka and Madoka. "She's so socially awkward, you know? You two must be angels, considering how she usually treats people." He holds up his red hand as an example.

Sayaka grins but Madoka frowns.

"...if you're done with my phone, give it back."

Satoshi turns back to Homura and pulls out his own phone from his shirt pocket. She assumed he was merely going to check her phone number and immediately stands to retrieve it.

"Nope!" he steps back, away from her reach, and starts punching a few buttons on his phone. He then holds his screen to hers.

Homura is eying the bar, wondering if she's able to clear the height when there's a soft ping and she sighs in defeat.

"There. That should help cover things for a few months." He hands her back her phone and she frowns at him. "...It's your fair share, Homu-chan."

Her lips press into a thin line. She snatches back her phone and stuffs it into her sweater pocket.

Satoshi turns to Madoka and Sayaka who quickly pretend like they hadn't been watching. "So, how did you two meet Homu-chan?"

Madoka blushes as she remembers how they first met. She lowers her spoon and wipes her mouth with the napkin. "Uhm. Homura-chan and I ran into each other at a local coffee shop..."

Literally.

His eyes widen. "She spoke to you, voluntarily?"

"Uhm..." Madoka fidgets with the spoon. "W-Well... I kind of... literally ran into her. And spilled my coffee all over her..."

He bursts out laughing. "I wish I could've seen that!"

"Me too," Sayaka chimes in from the side.

"And she didn't bite your head off?" Satoshi looks at Madoka curiously.

She shakes her head. "N-No. She... offered me some hot cocoa. And uhm, offered to help me do my laundry..."

He turns to Homura and she can already imagine what's running through his head.

The counter rattles, he screams in pain, and her own hand throbs from her actions.

She ignores it.

"Stop bothering her."

"You!" He rubs his hand and steps back. "What happened to the cute little Homu-chan that used to stick so close to me?"

Her eyes narrow. "I never did that. Stop making up lies."

"Alright, already. Sheesh. Anyways," he turns back to Madoka and Sayaka. "I'm glad it seems that Homu-chan finally found some friends. And such cute ones, at that!" He winks at them and Madoka colours as expected.

"...I see you are still a flirt," Homura comments dryly.

"Aw, don't be jealous, Homu-chan. I love you too."

"...why don't you come closer and say that."

"Youch! Scary!"

\\

Arms now laden with leftovers, Homura follows after Madoka and Sayaka as they exit the bar. A hand clasps her shoulder and she stiffens.

"Don't disappear on me again."

She glances back at him. "...I'm doing fine on my own."

He smiles almost bitterly. "Yeah. I guess you are, Homu-chan. Come visit—I work the daytime shift midweek. There's different specials everyday."

She remains quiet and he knows that's her way of rejection.

It makes him annoyed, more at his family than at her. He places his hand on her head, absently noting she hasn't grown much and he's a good head taller than her now. Lack of nutrients, perhaps?

"Please."

The plead in his voice makes her look back at him; he wonders when those lavender eyes stopped shining so brightly.

Then again, if he thinks about it, he's never really seen anything but pain, and then later on, anger, in them either.

"...Maybe."

It's more than expected and he grins.

"I'm glad you finally found someone who understands you, Homu-chan."

"You... have too much free time. You need a girlfriend."

"Hm." He sounds almost thoughtful and she turns around to see him watching Madoka and Sayaka. "Madoka-chan is pretty cute. Think she'd like someone like me?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe you should ask her." She moves to join them and he grabs her wrist.

"Seriously. She's totally my type."

Homura sighs. "From what I remember, any girl is your type." She shakes off his hand. "She's still here, you can ask her yourself."

He eyes her curiously. "You won't mind?"

"...What?"

"...I might end up taking her away from you."

Homura turns to him, eyebrow quirked. "Madoka isn't mine."

"...You still have much to learn, baby sister." He reaches up and ruffles her hair.

Hands full, Homura kicks him in the shin and he winces. "Ouch! Are you regressing back to your high school days?"

"Words do not work on idiots," she merely tells him.

She somehow manages to fix her hair and once that is done, walks away.

He shakes his head, eyes watching as Madoka all but lights up when Homura approaches.

"Well, she'll eventually understand." He stretches before yawning loudly.

The sound of a car approaching, and he waits for them to enter the taxi before he heads back to his job.

\\

Madoka enters first, door held for Sayaka and Homura who follow in after her.

Homura immediately heads to the kitchen, leftovers still in her hands. Sayaka remains in the living room, looking around the apartment as Madoka closes and locks the door.

She finds it's still the same since her last visit. There's a white, three seater couch in the middle, and a low, glass coffee table in front of that. The creme coloured walls are decorated with random pictures of the Kaname family, and there's a simple 3 tier bookshelf against the far wall, filled with more trinkets than of books.

"I'll make some tea."

Madoka's voice wakes her from her daze and Sayaka nods.

"Okay," she agrees quietly, slipping off her duffel bag and leaving it besides the couch.

She follows Madoka to the kitchen and takes a seat at one of the stools by the breakfast counter. Her eyes watch as Madoka moves around the kitchen with ease, eventually stopping at one of the cabinets by the refrigerator. She stands on her tiptoes to reach something, and wordlessly, Homura glides in besides her and pulls down the teapot for her.

"T-Thank you, Homura-chan." There's a shy smile on Madoka's face while Homura nods.

"You're welcome, Madoka. I keep telling you we should reorganize the kitchen to make it easier for you to reach certain things. Especially considering how often you drink tea..."

"Mm, but..." Madoka glances at her briefly, "I can always get you to help me get them down."

Homura nods slowly. "Yes... that is true, but I am not always home to help you."

Madoka smiles at her. "Then I just have to wait until you are."

Homura says something but Sayaka is no longer listening. Instead, she sighs softly, trying to picture herself and someone else in their place.

It sends a jolt of pain to her heart and she quickly turns away.

A soft clank as the teakettle is placed on the stove, and two cups and a teapot are set in front of Sayaka.

"It'll be done in a little bit, Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka turns back to find Madoka staring at her in worry.

"Y-Yeah. Uhm. Thanks, Madoka."

Madoka quietly takes a seat across from her and Sayaka finally notices there are only two cups.

"I am going to head to bed first," Homura answers her unasked question. "Good night."

"Okay, Homura-chan. Good night." Madoka's face softens as she watches Homura head to their shared room. Once she's out of view, she turns back to Sayaka who's grinning at her. "...Shush."

The humor slowly disappears and Sayaka sighs once more. "I guess... you're wondering why I'm here?"

Madoka reaches out and her hands fidget with her empty cup. "If I had to guess... Kamijou-kun?"

Sayaka closes her eyes. "Yeah..."

Madoka nods and merely waits for her to gain her bearings. Waits until the kettle starts whistling and quickly stands to retrieve the water. Waits as the tea steeps until it's finally done and the cups are filled with hot tea.

Sayaka sighs, shoulders sagging as her hands surround her cup.

"I think... I'm going to break up with him."

Sayaka waits for Madoka's cry of surprise. For some type of protest.

Nothing.

She looks up to find Madoka merely staring at her.

"...If you think that's best."

"Madoka...?"

Madoka gives her a sad smile. "You know... you haven't really been that happy lately, Sayaka-chan. Ever since Kamijou-kun went to study abroad... maybe even before that..."

The weight on Sayaka's heart twists and she sighs. "I... was really happy, though, when he agreed to be my boyfriend."

Her words stir up memories of the huge mess that had occurred in middle school. And when that had settled, more memories from high school, when Sayaka had finally confessed and Kyousuke had accepted.

A dream come true: if he had bothered to actually pay attention to her.

Madoka nods. "But..."

"But... sometimes it's like, I wished he had chose me, instead of the violin, you know?" she whispers.

Madoka stands and moves over to her. She slips her arm around Sayaka's waist and leans her head against hers.

"Does that make me a bad person?" Sayaka chokes out.

"No," Madoka tells her firmly. "It doesn't." A pause. "...You know, Mama told me, that relationships only work if both parties can compromise. She said that... that Kamijou-kun is being too selfish."

Sayaka sniffles, laughing softly. "Of course, why am I not surprised you'd talk to your mom about this?"

"Uhm... I-It kind of came up, when she was asking about you..."

Sayaka shakes her head before she wipes her eyes. "N-No. It's fine. What did your Mama say?"

Madoka glances at her briefly. "...She said that Kamijou-kun wants too much. To him, his violin is everything. Yet at the same time, he cares about you, as well."

Sayaka breathes in a trembling breath. "Y-Yeah, could've fooled me on that part."

"He's..." Madoka frowns and forces down the irritation she feels at Kyousuke for all the pain he has caused Sayaka. "He's... too used to having you there. Even... even with what had happened with Hitomi-chan, you still stuck by him no matter how much it hurt you. And then in high school, you were always there for him. Front and center at all his recitals, even though he never bothered to make the effort to watch any of your softball games."

The memories draw a bitter smile from Sayaka.

"Even now, I'm sure he has no idea that he's hurting you. He's far off, in a different country, worrying about his own things. Being selfish and thinking you'll always be there. I think, Sayaka-chan... you should be the selfish one for once."

Sayaka closes her eyes. It's a scary thought, throwing away something she had waited for, for so long; something she had almost ruined an important friendship for.

But...

"Yeah," she breathes out with an air of finality. "I think... I'm done with being pushed aside. He... missed our anniversary again," she admits. "I thought he would've at least called... but... nothing."

It isn't anything new, but Sayaka finds she is tired of it.

Madoka continues to hug her for a few minutes before Sayaka pulls away and gives her a smile. "Thanks, Madoka."

"Of course, Sayaka-chan."

She returns to her seat.

Their conversation veers towards lighter topics, catching up on various things about school and the like. And it suddenly curves, much to Madoka's embarrassment.

"So. Any improvement with you and the Akemi front?"

Madoka blushes, choosing to take a sip of her tea instead of answering.

Sayaka grins. "Come on, seriously, Madoka. The girl is so thick headed... you need to do something so obvious even she'll finally understand how you feel about her."

Madoka places her cup down with a sigh. "You know I can't do that, Sayaka-chan. Homura-chan..." She shakes her head. "If you push her too fast, she'll run away." She remembers how Homura had reacted to meeting her parents: she had been a nervous wreck that whole week, only relaxing once their departure date for Tokyo drew closer. If that could even be called relaxed. "And... she's... a really complicated person."

_Very_ complicated.

Sayaka sighs. "Seriously, Madoka. Why did you have to fall in love with someone with so much emotional baggage?"

"Shhh! Sayaka-chan! Not so loud!"

"She's sleeping!"

"She's not. It takes her a while to fall asleep."

Sayaka smirks at her. "You would know."

Madoka flushes. "W-We share a room. So yes, I would know."

"Uh huh."

Their conversation lulls as they both drink their tea.

"...Her brother is really nothing like her, huh?" Sayaka comments absently.

"Y-Yeah." Madoka's brows furrow.

"...She never mentioned him to you?"

"N-No. She... doesn't like talking about her family, much. If at all... but uhm. When she was... kicked out of her apartment, she mentioned maybe staying with them if she needed to."

"Huh. Think she meant him?"

"...I don't know."

"Hey." Sayaka reaches over and places her hand on Madoka's. "Don't feel bad, alright? Maybe... Maybe you gotta be selfish too, Madoka."

"Huh?" She blinks in confusion.

"You always avoid talking to her about certain things. Asking her about stuff." Sayaka shrugs. "Maybe you have to be selfish for once. I mean, she knows so much about you. She met your parents. She's living with you. Isn't it about time that maybe, you ask her for something in return?"

Madoka fidgets with her cup. "But... what... what if she runs away...?"

Sayaka smirks. "You know, I thiiiink at this point, she couldn't, even if she wanted to."

"Huh?"

"You never notice this, because you're always with her. But, she's the nicest to you and treats you differently than everyone else."

Madoka blinks and flushes once more. "R-Really?" There's a shy smile on her lips.

"Yes. I don't think she smiles at anyone else but you."

Madoka almost glows with happiness.

"So, be selfish, Madoka," Sayaka nods at her.

She glances up. "You too, Sayaka-chan," she tells her softly.

Sayaka holds out her cup. "To being selfish."

Madoka grins. "To being selfish."

A soft clink and a drink to their new resolution**s.**


	2. Chapter 2

**J**ust as the digits switch from 8 to 9, there's a brief click as the calm before the storm settles into the room.

It is the only warning.

Before the only alarm capable of waking Madoka blasts through her room, forcing three sleeping figures to respond in three different ways.

Homura covers her head with her pillow, trying to muffle the sound with soft cotton against her ears.

Sayaka groans and rolls over in bed, arm swinging along with her as she promptly falls back to sleep.

And Madoka opens bleary eyes, just as Sayaka's arm smacks her in the face.

"Oww... Sayaka-chan..." She sits up, rubbing her stinging nose as she glares down at the blissful looking sleeper.

She gives up a second later, sighing, and reaches over, button pressed to disable the loud noise.

She moves off the bed and proceeds to stretch, trying to ease the weariness from her body.

She's still feeling tired, less than 2 hours of sleep, but it's habit now to wake at this time.

And one day missed would send her sleeping schedule into shambles.

As she walks past Homura's futon on the way to the bathroom, a pillow is lifted, revealing a very sleepy looking Homura.

Who somehow still manages to look amazing, despite her messy hair.

At least, to Madoka.

"Morning, Homura-chan," Madoka whispers, smiling at the way lavender eyes squint at her.

"Good morning, Madoka." Her voice is slightly raspy from sleep. Or lack of.

Homura's eyes close once more; she always did have trouble getting up in the mornings.

Still smiling, Madoka continues into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

/

The smell of coffee is permeating through the air when Homura finally emerges from the bedroom, barefoot and dressed in a simple grey sweater and sweats.

Madoka calls them her lazy clothes.

She lets her call them whatever she wants; they were 500yen off the clearance rack and they fit.

Fit comfortably enough that she bought three more sets in different colours, giving the red ones to Madoka since she always seemed so enamored by her clothes.

Always borrowing her sweaters for one reason or another.

She doesn't mind though. If she ever wants to wear something pink, she knows Madoka would offer up her entire wardrobe.

She continues down the hallway, past the second bathroom in the apartment, as muffled sounds slowly rise in volume.

As Homura enters the living room and passes the couch, Madoka glances up from the kitchen when she steps into view. There's a screen in front of her, the obvious source of indistinguishable voices.

"Coffee's almost ready," Madoka tells her when she's close enough. "No contacts?" she teases, already knowing the answer: Homura's eyes are almost squeezed shut behind those thick framed glasses of hers that Madoka secretly adores.

Homura shakes her head, continuing her slow shuffle to the kitchen, fighting back another yawn.

"My eyes are broken," she murmurs, taking a seat on the closest stool by the counter.

"You can go back to sleep. Sayaka-chan probably won't wake up until noon..."

"Mm..." Homura makes no effort to move.

Madoka hits a few buttons, widening the screen and moving it so that she can watch as well.

Morning News.

"...string of robberies continue to increase as temperatures continue to rise. Another incident occurred around the 2nd Avenue overhead pass early this morning, where another victim was robbed at knife point, marking this the 4th robbery to occur this week. The suspects are currently still at large, with no leads or possible arrests in sight, despite an increase of security and video surveillance in the area. Authorities are warning citizens to avoid situations which may place—"

Madoka changes the channel and lowers the volume.

She turns to Homura with a frown. "We were really nearby, yesterday... If Sayaka-chan had walked..."

Homura squints at her. "She didn't. She is fine."

Madoka sighs softly. "Homura-chan, you always take that path when you walk home at night from your tutoring sessions. Promise me you will be more careful?"

Homura has her attention on the screen, bright colours distracting her.

"Homura-chan?"

She makes an uncommitted noise.

The cartoon fades to black as Madoka switches off the screen.

Homura blinks and turns to see Madoka glaring at her, hands on her hips.

Which would look quite intimidating, if only she wasn't dressed in those over sized, red sweats of hers.

"Homura-chan."

Homura nods. "...Do not worry, Madoka, I will stay safe."

Madoka eyes her critically, weighing and measuring her words.

"...Alright."

There's a soft beep, interrupting the lull in conversation.

The coffee is done.

They both stand, each taking their respective roles in the kitchen as they fall into their usual routine. Madoka is in charge of pouring the coffee, while Homura fetches the cream and grabs the sugar jar along the way.

Once their cups are filled, and coffee softened to their liking, Madoka takes her seat across from Homura.

They drink in comfortable silence.

Or, at least, Homura does.

Madoka is jittery, even though she has yet to take a sip. She keeps glancing to Homura, and then back to her coffee.

It happens enough times that Homura finally places her cup onto the counter with a soft clatter.

More awake now with caffeine in her body, she turns amused eyes to Madoka. "Madoka."

"H-Hm?" She looks up to see Homura smiling lightly at her.

It makes her remember Sayaka's words; her heart skips a beat.

"Is there something bothering you?"

"Uh..." Madoka glances away. "W-What makes you think that, Homura-chan?"

Homura folds her hands and places them besides her cup on the counter. "Well, I'm not quite sure. Maybe it's because you keep looking at me?"

Madoka fidgets nervously.

"...Maybe I need to get my eyes checked then?" Homura comments as she reaches for her coffee. "I keep seeing these strange pink eyes staring at me."

Madoka sighs. "Alright, yes, I was looking at you."

Homura nods. "Good. The first step is admitting you have a problem."

She takes another sip, though Madoka can see her lips are still quirked up in amusement.

Madoka huffs at her. "Homura-chan! I'm—trying to be serious here!"

Homura lowers her cup, lavender eyes suddenly searching Madoka's face. "What's wrong?"

That intense stare sends Madoka's cheeks aflame.

"N-Nothing!" she squeaks out, turning away to avoid those eyes.

"Madoka? Is there something wrong?"

She panics at Homura's serious tone, quickly turning back. "N-No! N-Nothing's wrong, Homura-chan!"

"Is... it something you have trouble telling me?"

The amusement is long gone, just a frown now present on her lips.

"Y-Your—"

Homura nods in encouragement.

"Your brother seems nice!" Madoka blurts out.

Homura blinks. "My... brother...?"

"Y-Yes, your brother! Uhm. He's... He's nothing like you..."

There's a pause, before Homura suddenly averts her eyes. "Oh. Uhm..."

"Homura-chan...?"

Homura pulls her cup closer. "Uhm. He... He asked about you, last night. Uhm, this morning. As well."

"E-Eh?"

"He's not dating anyone right now, I don't think," Homura mumbles softly. "He's—a decent guy, I guess. But he tends to flirt a lot..."

"W-Wait! What are you talking about, Homura-chan?"

Homura looks at her. "Uhm. You're... interested in him, aren't you?"

"Eh!?"

Homura stares at her blankly. "I-Isn't that why you're asking about him?"

"What!"

Madoka wants to reach out to slap her upside the head—which most likely shows on her face as Homura backs away ever so slightly.

"Uhm..." Homura holds out a hand. "Okay, wait. T-Time out."

Madoka nods in agreement.

They both take a sip of their coffee to calm down.

A few seconds pass, and they look up at the same time.

"Ready?" Homura asks her.

She nods again.

"Okay, you start."

Madoka takes a deep breath before exhaling slowly. "Alright. I was—asking about your brother. Because you have never mentioned him before. I only want to know about him, because he's related to _you_. I definitely do _not_ want to date him. I just want to know more about you."

"Oh. Uhm..." Homura runs her thumb along the handle of her coffee cup. "I see. So, just to make sure... you aren't asking whether or not he's available?"

Madoka shakes her head.

"So, you definitely don't want to date him?"

She nods.

Homura breathes out a sigh of relief. "Okay. That's—that's good."

Her reaction has Madoka's heartbeat speeding up—was she jealous?

"Because—he's never really had a girlfriend for longer than a month," Homura explains, effectively squashing Madoka's dreams. "I mean, he's a decent guy, but..." she shakes her head. "It's... It's good you don't like him. Uhm. In that way, Madoka. H—He would just end up hurting you, or something..."

That sounds promising at least.

"...it would give me an excuse to beat him up though..." Homura murmurs softly, most likely to herself.

"Homura-chan...?"

"Uhm." She looks at Madoka. "So, okay. You... want to know more about me...?"

Madoka blushes, knowing how that sounds. "Y-Yes. B-Because, well, you don't really talk about yourself, you know? I mean, I've known you for a while now, and you've met my family and we visited my hometown together—"

"Madoka?"

"And we live together, but it's like, I feel I don't even know that much about you. Well, I mean, I know some things. Like your favourite colour is purple, and you prefer cats to dogs—"

"Madoka?"

"And that you like to drink your coffee with more cream than sugar, and you prefer bread in the mornings. And there—"

"Madoka!"

She jumps and turns to Homura, who coughs lightly into her hand, cheeks slightly flushed.

"I—get it, okay?" Homura tells her with a small smile. "You want to know more about me."

Madoka nods. "Y-Yes."

"...Alright. What do you want to know?"

Madoka blinks at her. "W-What?"

Homura glances away briefly. "I mean, I'm sure you have some questions you'd like to ask me...?"

Madoka eyes widen.

"Don't look so shocked," Homura tells her, lips twitching. "I'm... not that bad at talking about myself, am I?"

Silence.

Homura sighs.

"I—should really work on that, I suppose. But, uhm." She reaches for her cup, peering inside and seeing that it's half empty. "What would you like to ask me, Madoka?"

Madoka stares at her, mind suddenly blank. "Uhmm... T-That is..."

"...Maybe it'll help if we eat something first?" Homura suggests, already moving to stand.

"I-Is there a time limit?" Madoka asks her suddenly.

"Time limit?"

"Uhm, I mean, if... if like an hour passes... will you no longer answer my questions...?"

Homura tilts her head. "Is this another one of those things you did at home?"

Madoka nods: the 'Time out thing' is something Homura had learned when she stayed over during Spring Break.

Homura coughs into her hand to hide her laugh, but Madoka can see how her eyes almost twinkle in amusement.

Almost—because they never really seemed to reach that point.

But, one day—

"No," Homura tells her. "There is no time limit."

A smile blooms on Madoka's face. "R-Really?"

"Yes, but..."

"But...?"

Homura looks at the floor. "Some... questions I won't be able to answer. N-Not because I don't want to... but..."

"T-That's fine! Anything... anything you can tell me, I'll be glad to know..."

They share a smile—though Madoka's is more a wide grin, while Homura's is a twitch of her lips.

"You can ask me things as we make breakfast..." Homura comments as she walks around the counter to enter the kitchen. "Oh." She stops suddenly, turning to Madoka. "But... it might be hard for you to cook and think at the same time..."

Madoka stares at her for a moment, mouth agape.

She snaps her mouth shut.

Homura smiles, and jumps away from Madoka's punch.

"Homura-chan! Get back here!"

\\

Pink eyes watch as the eggs in the pan pop and sizzle over the low heat. She's absently chewing on her lower lip, brow furrowed as she decides on her first question. Seeking a visual clue on where to begin, she glances behind her, to where Homura is standing in front of the toaster.

Lavender eyes no doubt watching the bread, ready to swoop in during that last second, when the toast hovers between lightly toasted and horribly burnt: the only two options the toaster had, after a small mishap with an overloaded fuse.

That Sayaka swears was not her fault.

She turns back to the eggs, brown edges signaling that one side is done. A quick lift of the pan, both eggs flipped simultaneously, landing perfectly.

She turns off the heat, letting them sit and cook from the remaining warmth.

She's still not close to thinking of a question—there's too many she wants to ask.

But, she doesn't want to pry too deep.

There's a chime, prompting her to turn around. She watches as Homura slips the perfectly made toast onto the plate.

It makes her smile.

"My job is complete," Homura tells her, noticing Madoka's gaze. "...Perhaps we should look into buying another toaster, Madoka."

"Mm." Madoka grins. "But then what would you do?"

Because Madoka can never get the timing right, it's an ongoing joke between them, that the only thing Homura is good for in the kitchen is to watch the toaster.

"Well," Homura appears thoughtful. "I can't be fired yet; you still aren't willing to reorganize the cabinets. So at least I am still useful in that aspect."

And to grab items that Madoka is unable to reach.

"You are awful today," Madoka tells her, sticking out her tongue, even as there's a smile on her face. "Is it because you didn't get enough sleep?"

Homura settles the loaded plate onto the counter. "Maybe. Or maybe, it's because someone still snores even though she claims she doesn't."

Madoka grins. "I didn't hear Sayaka-chan at all."

"I dreamt I was on a motorboat, Madoka. I've never been on one—but somehow I dreamt that I was on one. It was loud."

This earns her a laugh. "You really are bad today, Homura-chan. I'm definitely going to tell Sayaka-chan you compared her to a boat."

"Good." Homura nods, back turned as she reaches for the coffee pot. "Maybe then she'll finally admit that she snores."

"I doubt it..." Madoka starts to plate the eggs onto two separate dishes. "When we had our class trip in high school, the girls from the other room overheard her... but they didn't actually know it was her."

She adds a sprinkle of pepper, before she moves to the counter to join Homura.

"Let me guess, she blamed it on someone else?" Homura asks her dryly, filling their cups with more coffee.

Madoka nods, setting the plates down. "Five girls in the room. All of us denied it, trying to save Sayaka-chan the embarrassment..." She shakes her head. "It was a three day, four night trip. We became the 'aviation room' because it sounded like planes were taking flight..."

Mid sip, Homura chokes on her coffee, coughing as she tries to hold back her laughter.

Madoka grins, placing her hands on Homura's back, rubbing circles to help relieve her cough.

"The boys though, made it even worse. They somehow found out, and every time they saw one of us, they'd make airplane noises. It continued almost until graduation, before Sayaka-chan threatened to beat them up."

Homura manages to calm down somewhat, straightening up even with an amused smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Madoka, I am fine now."

Madoka reluctantly removes her hand to take her usual seat as Homura walks around the counter to hers.

They both dig into their light meal, Madoka eating and waiting for Homura to take a few bites.

She waits, until Homura lowers her fork and finally glances up.

"I... thought of a question," Madoka tells her, sounding almost timid.

Homura nods, gesturing for her to continue.

"Uhm... How old is your brother?"

"...Are you sure you're not interested in him?"

"It's a safe question!" Madoka protests.

"...Which means there are unsafe questions?"

"Uhm..."

"He's... 23, or so. I think." Homura pauses, calculating the years in her head. "...Yes. Something like that."

"So he's 5 years older than you..."

"Yes." She shrugs. "Until December."

"Do you... have any other siblings?"

"No. At least, not that I know of."

Madoka blinks. "Uhm... Y-You said, he isn't your actual real brother...?"

Homura nods, eyes on her plate as she cuts into the egg with her fork. "Half. He and I share the same father, but different mothers."

"Oh..."

"Before you ask, my mother was the mistress."

"U-Uhm..." Madoka quickly glances down to her food. "I-I w-wasn't... going to ask that..."

"It's fine."

She looks up and Homura is giving her a smile—that looks less than fine.

"It's... things tend to spread kind of quickly in schools here... Let's just say that almost everyone knew about my situation, made much worse since I had to attend a Christian School..."

Madoka pushes her toast around, suddenly feeling awful for bringing up these memories.

"U-Uhm... O-Oh... s-so you went to a Christian School...?"

"Yes, for elementary school."

"Not for Middle School?" Madoka glances up to see Homura shaking her head.

"No. I was...sick for a while. I missed most of Middle School."

Madoka sits up straighter. "Sick? You were sick?"

Homura looks at her. "I mentioned before I was in the hospital for a bit."

"Yes, but you said 'bit!' As in a brief moment, where you were sick for days and then you went home!"

Homura places her fork down when she notices that Madoka looks visibly upset. "Uhm. Well, I had a heart defect when I was younger."

"Heart defect? How bad was it?"

"Mm. Bad enough that I needed a new heart."

"What? You had a heart transplant?!" Madoka demands as she stares at her.

"Uhm, y-yes..."

"You're constantly supposed to take medication for that! I've never seen you take any!"

"Uhm... We... don't see each other all the time..."

"Homura-chan! You've been living here for months now, and I have not seen one pill from you at all! Where do you even keep them?"

"...I-In my duffel..."

Madoka grits her teeth. "So you have been deliberately hiding them from me?"

"N-No..."

"When do you take them?"

She averts her eyes. "Uhm... after you leave for your class..."

"..."

"I-It's a set schedule...?"

"I can't believe this. Out of all things you chose to hide from me, this is one of them!? What are you taking?"

"Uhm... I can't remember the names right now, but... an immunosuppressant... some supplements... high blood pressure medicine..."

"Side effects?"

"They... uhm. They lowered my dosage since I'm doing so well... mostly it's just insomnia now...some occasional nausea..."

"How often are your check-ups?"

"Monthly... Mostly for blood work..."

"...Is that where you go, every second Sunday of the month?"

She blinks. "Uhm... Yes...?"

Madoka closes her eyes.

Things are slowly starting to fall into place; explanations to Homura's strange quirks.

Her reluctance to going out anywhere before 11am. Refusals to take any kind of morning class.

Always brushing her teeth at night at a set time. Making sure they always arrive home before 11pm...

They were just excuses to take her medicine; maybe to wait for the nausea to pass.

Not to mention her shyness in the bathroom—that went beyond simple embarrassment. Madoka had accidentally walked in on her once, and Homura had completely panicked. If she had slammed the door any harder, it would've broken Madoka's nose.

She had apologized, of course, but it explains _so much_ that Madoka just wants to scream.

Eyes open. "...Why didn't you tell me?"

There's an underlying hurt tone to Madoka's voice, forcing Homura to finally look up. "Uhm..."

"Were you ever going to tell me...?" she whispers.

"...It's... I... I didn't think it was important..."

Madoka slams her hand onto the counter, dishware rattling and her wincing at the sudden pain on her palm.

She ignores it; it's nothing compared to whatever's twisting around her heart.

"You're still susceptible to organ rejection! Your medicine lowers your immunity to diseases! You're constantly at risk for all these things! How is it _not_ important?! Life expectancy for heart transplant patients—" she cuts herself off, fighting down a sob.

Homura holds out her hands, trying to calm her down.

"T-There's been advancements in treatment for transplants, Madoka. My checkups... my doctor tells me I've been doing really well these last few years... I-If it continues, they project I'll be able to live for 15 more years... maybe 20...?"

"...When did you get your transplant, Homura-chan?"

"U-Uhm. Around 5 years ago..."

"15 years..." Madoka places her face in her hands. "15 years to go...?"

"20... if uhm, if I'm lucky...? P-Plus, I may be eligible for another transplant if complications do occur...depending...on some things..."

It does little to reassure, and only makes Madoka cry harder.

\\

Sayaka finally stumbles out of bed half past noon.

She walks into the living room, still dressed in her sleeping clothes: t-shirt and shorts, and hair still mussed from sleep.

"Mado—whoa. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Sayaka blinks, staring at the two figures sitting very closely on the sofa.

Madoka glances behind her. Sayaka's expecting a smile—some kind of gleeful grin, instead she's greeted with a very miserable looking Madoka.

"Uh... Did something happen...?"

Madoka sniffles and suddenly starts punching Homura's arm.

"This! Idiot! Right! Here! Never! Said! Anything! About! Her! Stupid! Heart! Transplant!"

"O-Ow. M-Madoka—"

Madoka slaps her arm this time.

"Mado—"

"_No_, you said you'd make it up to me. _So sit here and be quiet_."

She places her head against Homura's shoulder, eyes still very angry and jaw clenched.

Homura nods nervously. She throws Sayaka a look, almost begging her for help.

Sayaka steps closer. "Uh, but, Homura's all better now, isn't she...? I mean, she's... she looks pretty healthy."

Madoka shakes her head, tugging the blanket around her and Homura closer.

"Uhm... okay." Sayaka stares at Homura who leans back on the couch in resignation. "Uh... so, what's the plan today...?"

Madoka reaches forward and snatches a plastic case off the table. She holds it up for Sayaka to see.

"Today's movie day." Her voice is flat. "Pizza for lunch. The menu..."

She grabs the smaller projection screen nearby and haphazardly holds it behind her to Sayaka.

"Choose something. Homura-chan and I usually split a vegetarian one, but I know you like some type of protein."

Sayaka takes it out of her hands. "Uh, alright. Thanks..."

She glances over to Madoka, shaking her head in slight confusion.

At least Homura looks just as confused.

Still standing, Sayaka silently browses through the menu, eyes quickly bypassing all the vegetables. It takes her only a moment and she's decided: a regular Combination pizza.

She clears her throat, hoping to clear the air. "Uh, so, I know what I want...?"

Homura shifts uncomfortably. "M-Madoka...?"

"What."

"Uhm... W-Would it be alright if I went to use the restroom...?"

Madoka finally turns to look at her.

"...Please?" Homura squeaks out, pressing deeper into the couch to avoid that glare.

Madoka sighs. She unwraps the blankets around them.

Homura quickly hops off the couch, stumbling slightly in her haste to move away before Madoka changes her mind.

Once she disappears into the half bathroom in the hallway, Sayaka jumps in to fill the empty spot Homura had just abandoned.

The couch bounces, announcing her presence to the Madoka who is still glaring at the floor.

"Okay. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but... shouldn't you be happy? You two just suddenly got a lot closer...?"

Madoka finally looks up, giving Sayaka a clear view of her swollen eyes.

"H-Hey, what's wrong? What happened?" Sayaka throws an arm around Madoka's smaller shoulders.

"I was... I was," Madoka sniffles once more. "I was b-being selfish. This morning..."

A firm hand on her back. "Uh huh. What happened?"

"H-Homura-chan... s-she used to be sick."

"Right. Her transplant? But, that means she has a new one right? So, she's good now?"

Madoka shakes her head, tears trailing down her cheeks. "T-Transplant patients... the l-longest they s-survive is...25 to 30...years post operation..."

"Oh..." Sayaka glances to the side. "Uhm... well..."

"B-But..." Madoka continues, wiping at her eyes. "M-Most average a-around 10 years..." She sobs. "5 years already passed... S-Sayaka-chan..."

"H-Hey," Sayaka holds her close. "That's... that's just the average, you know? It doesn't mean that everyone follows those guides..."

Madoka sniffles again.

"Hey," Sayaka nudges her with her elbow. "Come on. You always tell me that 'Homura is above average.' And that she's crazily stubborn. Didn't you two argue about something stupid, like where to place the futon in the room, for weeks?"

Madoka slaps her arm.

"I mean. What I mean is, Homura's... I can't see her accepting the 'average,' you know? The average is 10 years? So what? She's probably gonna glare at that average with those slanted eyes of hers, and then say something like, 'No,' and then walk away or something. She'll even look at that 25 and 30, and ignore that too!"

Madoka can't help it—she laughs trying to picture it.

"Yeah? See? Even though it sounds crazy, doesn't it seem like something she'd do?"

"Yeah... i-it does..."

"Yeah. You okay now?"

Madoka nods. "Y-Yeah."

"Alright, now go wash your face." Sayaka pushes her away. "You're getting snot all over me."

Madoka holds out her hands, threatening to wipe them on Sayaka.

"Eww! Madoka germs! Get away! They're going to make me short!"

"You jerk!"

Sayaka laughs in response, Madoka joining her a second later.

/

Homura pokes her head through the doorway, breathing a sigh of relief when she notices the figure sitting on the couch does not have pink hair.

Her footsteps are quiet, and it isn't until she's taking a seat that Sayaka finally realizes she's there.

"Whoa! Where did you come from?"

"My mother..." Homura tells her dryly. "Though, some say she might've been from some place far away, as I have never met her."

"Uhh..." Sayaka scratches her head.

Homura settles into the couch, not at all bothered by Sayaka's silence.

She glances at Sayaka. "Uhm. Is... is she still upset?"

Sayaka props her bare feet onto the table—only able to do so because Madoka is not here.

"Well, she's no longer crying her eyes out, if that's what you mean."

"...Yes."

Sayaka leans her head back, tilting it so she can stare at the ceiling. "Geez, Homura. Couldn't you have, I don't know, handled this some better way?"

She waves her hand around, almost smacking Homura in the process if she hadn't moved in time.

An ignored glare.

"Okay, so... do you even know why she's upset?"

Homura blinks. "Uhm... no, not exactly."

Sayaka sighs, this time deliberately reaching over to smack Homura on the arm.

"...Ow."

"You pretty much dropped a bombshell on her. Did you forget she's studying medicine? That she's going to become a nurse? Hell, if you told me you had a heart transplant, I'd be like, okay, you got a new heart, right? Big deal?"

"Yes."

She smacks Homura once more, harder this time: a satisfying sound echos off the walls.

Homura moves further away.

"But Madoka? Madoka actually knows what this stuff means. You... you pretty much lied to her."

"..."

"I know what you're thinking—you didn't lie, you just kind of left things out. _They are the same thing_. At least, to Madoka, they are."

"..."

"You've known her for what, half a year now?"

Homura nods, even though Sayaka is not looking at her.

"Well, it doesn't really matter. Because, Madoka isn't like you. She is not a person layered with different walls around her; she wears her heart on her sleeve. The Madoka you first met, is the same Madoka you see right now. Honest and kind... the kind of person anyone would be lucky enough to have in their lives. Do you still not understand why she's upset?"

"...15... or even 20 more years is a long time though," Homura tells her softly. "I mean, technically, I wasn't supposed to live past the age of 15..."

Sayaka growls, moving quickly and slaps Homura on the head.

"Ow! Would you stop that!"

"You better not let Madoka hear you say that! You stupid, dense—"

"Sayaka-chan?"

They both freeze, for different reasons.

"H-Hey, Madoka." Sayaka turns, giving her a nervous smile.

"Have you decided what pizza you want? I'm going to place the orders." Pink eyes flicker to Homura briefly, who looks away.

"Yup! Just a simple Combination for me."

"Alright."

Madoka silently plods towards them, reaching for the menu screen and stops right in front of Homura.

She looks up just as Madoka deliberately drops down into her lap.

"M-Madoka...?"

Madoka shifts, twisting her body until her back is now leaning against the arm of the sofa, and her legs end up in Sayaka's lap.

"I'm going to place the orders now, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her with a smile.

"Uhm. A-Alright..."

Homura looks over to Sayaka for advice, but all she receives is a subtle shake of her head.

Her eyes nervously dart around the room, before she tries to make herself comfortable against the couch.

While Madoka does the same against her.

\

When the pizza arrives, to Homura's relief, Madoka finally moves.

"Here you go, Homura-chan." Madoka hands her a plate. She turns around and gives one to Sayaka. "I'll go get the lights. Can you start the movie, Homura-chan?"

"Alright..."

Homura does as told, loading the movie into the projector as the lights turn off. She readjusts the settings, widening the screen so that it fills the wall in front just as Madoka rejoins them.

To Homura's embarrassment, Madoka sidles in right next to her once more. A quick glance over, and she can see that Sayaka is now sitting comfortably against the other side of the couch.

And that there's plenty of room beside her. Enough, that all three of them should be able to sit without touching.

"Lift your arm, Homura-chan," Madoka whispers.

Silently, Homura raises her arm as Madoka pulls the blankets around them.

Like earlier, when Madoka deliberately leans against her, it suddenly seems a tad bit too warm.

The darkness, at least, allows her to hide her blush. She focuses on eating her pizza, as Madoka and Sayaka engross themselves in the movie.

/

Two slices later, Homura finds herself nodding off; not enough sleep, and a movie that isn't holding her attention at all.

Madoka and Sayaka seem to be enjoying it, at least.

Homura stares at the screen, watching as the main character spouts some kind of cheesy line as to why she can't marry her fiance.

She stifles a yawn, shifting slightly to make herself a bit more comfortable, accidentally brushing her arm against Madoka's in the process.

Pink eyes glance to her. She shakes her head, mouthing a quick apology.

The brighter scenery from the screen suddenly floods the room with light, enabling Homura to see that Madoka seems to be deep in thought.

The light fades just as Madoka pulls away. It's a sudden surprise—the disappearance of warmth, but it's brief as hands are placed on her legs.

She jumps at the touch; she's always been ticklish there. "M-Madoka?"

"Shhhhhh!"

Homura rolls her eyes; it figures that Sayaka would be a romantic at heart.

There's a sudden waft of strawberries and a warm breath against her cheek.

"Put your legs up on the sofa, Homura-chan." Her voice is soft, close to her ear.

"W-What?"

"Shhh!"

Homura wants to glare at her, but Madoka is still there, blocking her view and her movement.

"Like you're going to lie down," Madoka clarifies, finally moving away.

Homura stares, but the movie is taking place at night now, and the only light from the kitchen window isn't bright enough for her to see her clearly.

"Homura-chan."

The fact that Sayaka only shushes her even though Madoka is being just as loud makes her want to grumble.

Instead, she lifts her legs, stretching them in front of her while leaning her back against the arm of the sofa. There's still enough space in between her and Sayaka, that she'd need to stretch quite a bit in order to comfortably kick her.

Just as she realizes that she has no idea where Madoka is going to sit, her answer drops down in front of her.

And Madoka starts molding her body against hers.

"Ma—"

"Shh!"

"You shh!" Homura throws back, tempted to pull a muscle in order to deliver a swift kick.

"Homura-chan," Madoka sounds slightly amused, her hands reaching for thin arms. "Relax, okay?"

There is no such thing as 'relaxing' when Madoka is this close. After a few struggles, Madoka finally manages to loop Homura's arms around her waist.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Madoka—"

"Shh! Stop flirting already! Both of you!"

Homura tries to sit up, intent on showing Sayaka her anger. And finds it's rather difficult with Madoka sitting on top of her.

She settles for yelling instead. "They're not even talking!"

"Which is what you should be doing!"

Madoka leans back, giving Homura another clear whiff strawberries—she's finally able to place it: Madoka's favourite shampoo.

"Homura-chan."

As if sensing she's pouting, Madoka pats her hand in comfort.

She feels Madoka shift slightly.

"You can sleep." A soft whisper just as a blanket is pulled up around them.

Homura blinks.

It takes her moment, before she relaxes, ever so slightly.

She's entirely too aware of how close they are, yet she can't deny how comforting holding Madoka is.

Friends... friends did this, right...**?**

* * *

**AN:** To answer a few questions: Yes, something might happen, yes, maybe~, thanksx5, not yet!

What questions are these? I'm not quite sure. *Yawns*


	3. Chapter 3

**F**ingers brush away tears as an inconspicuous sniffle sounds; the credits are rolling while the ending score plays.

"Man, that was such a great movie." Her voice slightly cracks, and she clears her throat in embarrassment. "So, what's next?"

She raises her arms, stretching to relieve her muscles from sitting for so long.

"Madoka?"

Silence.

Sayaka sighs and stands to locate the lights.

She wanders aimlessly around the perimeter of the room, hitting every switch until the last one finally does what she had set out to do. Light floods in, giving her a clear view of the two sleeping figures nestled together on the couch.

"Hmm." A hand on her chin as she debates.

A second later, a devious grin. Her feet guide her to the bedroom.

When the loud shutter of her camera phone echoes through the room, she winces, quickly pulling back to check to see if they heard.

Nope, still sound asleep.

She sighs in relief. "Alright... I guess... I could study a bit while I wait for them to wake up."

/

Books discarded next to her with headphones covering her ears, Sayaka browses the internet, still waiting.

"Ugh... it's already been two hours. I want to get ice cream, but I don't have any credits to buy any..."

She sets her headphones down and abandons her temporary perch, slowly making her way back to the couch.

"Hmm, but Madoka is really hard to wake up. How does Homura even manage...?"

"...Persistence."

"Gah!" Sayaka jumps at the voice. When she looks over, she sees lavender eyes peering at her behind those thick glasses. "Geez! If you were already awake why didn't you say anything?"

"...I did. I assume you had your headphones on?"

"Ah..." Sayaka stares at her. "Wait! How long have you been awake?'

Homura shifts, trying to pull away from Madoka; Madoka merely snuggles closer.

She sighs. "...I've been awake long enough to enjoy your soliloquy on checkered shirts, and whether or not you should buy them..."

Sayaka glares at her. "W-What! That was not a soliloquy!"

"...and your jazzy rendition of Canon in D."

Sayaka flushes, face red.

"You should buy those shirts. Your arguments are really convincing," Homura comments, nodding to herself.

"S-Shut up! A-Anyways, if you've been awake for that long, why haven't you moved from your spot? Don't tell me," Sayaka smirks, "you actually enjoy being that close to Madoka?"

Homura doesn't reply. She concentrates, struggling to remove Madoka's hands from around her waist.

Like her previous attempts, Madoka's hold is steadfast and frustratingly stubborn.

"She is surprisingly strong, despite her shorter frame," Homura mutters, hand trying to slip under Madoka's fingers as she tries to pry them off of her.

She succeeds—in having Madoka switch her grip from Homura's waist to her hand.

She blinks, a frown on her lips. She settles for the usual approach: shaking her awake. "Madoka. Wake up, Madoka."

Sayaka laughs. "The infamous 'koala hold' strikes again! Haven't seen that in a while!"

Homura's eyes flicker to her. "'Koala hold?'"

Sayaka nods. "You know! Those little animals that eat those smelly leaves?"

"...I am quite aware of what a koala is..."

Sayaka sticks her tongue out. "Anyways, their babies, they cling to their mothers for months. Hence, 'Koala hold!' All through elementary and middle school, anyone unlucky enough to share a bed with Madoka during our sleepovers always had to pry that baby koala from them in the morning. She kind of broke that habit in high school, but..." Sayaka grins. "Guess some habits just die hard."

Homura sighs. "I see... and, how do I remove this koala...?"

Sayaka smirks. "Persistence."

Homura bites back another sigh. She tries to shake her awake once more. "Madoka... Madoka wake up."

"...You think that's going to work?"

Sayaka's voice is suddenly by her ear; Homura almost jumps when she turns to see Sayaka peering at her from above, head resting on the back of the couch.

Madoka murmurs something under her breath, face content as she shifts lightly.

Homura stares at her, deciding her options.

*Click*

Homura turns.

"Smile!" Sayaka tells her.

The sound of a closing shutter, this time complete with a flash.

Homura winces, trying to blink away the dots dancing every time her eyes close. "...What are you doing...?"

"Just taking some pictures."

Homura's glare is interrupted when another flash blindsides her. "...You do not need the flash when you are so close."

"You know, you looked really comfortable earlier." Sayaka ignores her comment, once again kneeling down to become a floating head resting atop the sofa.

"...I will buy you a checkered shirt if you help remove this koala..."

Sayaka turns her head. "Just one?"

"...Two?"

"Hmm..."

Madoka shifts again.

"...Three?"

Sayaka stares, eyebrows raised. "Getting kinda desperate, aren't you?"

"...I really, really need to use the restroom. And Madoka is leaning on my bladder..."

"Ahh," Sayaka appears thoughtful. "Well, I know a surefire way that will wake her up."

"I am listening..."

Sayaka leans in, eyes gleaming. "Kiss her."

"..." Homura glances down to the sleeping Madoka.

When she remains quiet, Sayaka's eyes widen. "W-Wait, are you really going to...?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Homura mumbles, her free hand moving to Madoka's face. "Kisses only work because they generally block the flow of oxygen. Which means this should work..."

Sayaka watches as Homura covers Madoka's mouth and nose with her hand.

"Boooooring... Hey, if this works, you owe me three shirts."

"One," Homura murmurs. "It's a derivation of your original suggestion, but not a complete mimicry... A triangle for partial credit..."

"Two," Sayaka tells her with a frown, watching as Madoka starts moving, "and I don't send the pictures I took to Madoka's mom."

Homura can feel Madoka trying to suck in more air against her hand; it makes her feel bad, but she's reaching her limit.

"None," Homura replies, "and I continue to keep the secret of what happened to Madoka's favourite sweater the last time you visited."

"..."

Homura glances over to see that Sayaka has her head bowed in defeat, but there's a sudden gasp from Madoka. She quickly pulls her hand away.

Madoka coughs, breathing in deeply.

But she's awake.

Why didn't she think of this before?

"Good morning, Madoka," Homura says instead.

Pink eyes widen. She tilts her head up to see those familiar lavender eyes staring at her. "H-Homura-chan...?"

She's suddenly entirely too aware that she's all but pressed flushed against Homura's body.

"Can you please move, Madoka? I need to use the restroom..."

Madoka gulps nervously, immediately scrambling off her. "S-Sorry!" she squeaks out, tripping over the discarded blankets on the floor.

Homura barely manages to steady her. "Be more careful," she tells her, quickly letting go. "Excuse me," she murmurs, footsteps hurried as she moves to the bathroom.

Madoka rubs at her tired eyes.

Sayaka's face slowly warps into a grin. "You know..."

When Homura steps out of the bathroom, she can hear Madoka's voice carrying down through the hallway. Judging by Sayaka's laughter, and Madoka's shrieks, it doesn't sound like Madoka is happy at all.

Which is confirmed when she enters the living room: Madoka is chasing Sayaka around the couch.

"You jerk! Why would you even suggest that?" Madoka glares at Sayaka, face red, messy pink hair from their impromptu nap adding to her disheveled appearance.

Sayaka grins. "I was just helping things along! You two are you moving soooo slow! And you should've seen her face when I suggested it! She really looked like she wanted to—"

"Homura-chan!" Madoka yells out when she notices Homura walking across the room.

She turns to look at her. "Yes, Madoka?"

"U-Uhm..."

Homura stares, head tilted in slight curiosity.

"Uh... that is..." Madoka glances at Sayaka for help.

Sensing Madoka needed time for whatever, Homura continues to the kitchen, but stops when she notices the mess that Sayaka left on the counter.

"Miki Sayaka."

"Yeah?" Sayaka looks over.

Homura gestures to the stacks of books and notebooks strewn around, next to the opened laptop and headphones.

Sayaka waves her off. "Relax, I'll clean it before I leave."

"...Are you leaving tonight?" Homura asks her.

"Tomorrow."

Homura frowns at her, arms crossed at her chest. "Then clean it now."

Madoka quickly intervenes when she sees Sayaka mimicking Homura's pose. "Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka grits her teeth, sighing angrily. "Fine."

Homura nods in approval, before she steps into the kitchen for a glass of water.

One clean counter later, Homura is sipping at her water as the three of them sit, gathered at the breakfast bar, discussing plans for the rest of the day.

"You two are so boring," Sayaka groans as she places her arms on the counter. "You know, most of the time friends are supposed to take their friends out when they break up with their significant others..."

A light clatter as Homura places her cup down. "You broke up with your boyfriend?"

Sayaka turns at her, surprised at her interest. "Yeah. Well, not yet... but I will be..."

"I see."

When Homura says nothing after that, Sayaka frowns. "...That's it?"

"Hm?" Homura quirks an eyebrow.

"'I see?' That's all I get from you?" Sayaka demands, slapping her open hand down. "Can't you at least pretend you care?"

"S-Sayaka-chan..." Madoka reaches out to try and calm her.

Only because Madoka looks slightly bothered that Homura sighs. "Very well." They both turn to her. "And how do you feel, now that you have decided you're going to break up with him?"

Sayaka blinks. "Eh?"

Homura rests her elbows on the counter, chin placed on folded hands and adopts a thoughtful expression. "No, really. Did you love him?"

"Uhm," Sayaka glances at Madoka in confusion, but she shakes her head, equally confused. "I guess... I mean... I... he... he was my first love," she admits, voice small.

"I see. And what was it that drew you towards him?"

"What?"

"What made you fall in love with him?" Homura clarifies.

It's almost freaking Sayaka out with how Homura is staring at her and actually looking—interested. "Uhhhh... if... if I had to pinpoint a time... it was when I went to his first recital..."

"So music was your common interest?"

Sayaka shakes her head. "No. It... wasn't the music really—just... how he looked playing it... Like... I don't know how to describe it... but... just watching him play the violin..."

"So, the feelings he invoked when he played the violin is what made you fall in love?"

Sayaka nods. "Y-Yeah... I guess... I guess you could say."

Homura hums softly. "Interesting. So, you weren't at all attracted to his looks?"

"W-What?" Sayaka blushes.

"I've seen a few pictures of him, from Madoka," Homura tells her. "His looks...hmm... perhaps a little above average?"

Madoka stares at Homura, surprised at her evaluation of Kyousuke's appearance—she didn't even think Homura remembered him.

Sayaka sputters. "Kyousuke—is definitely more than just a little above average!"

"So, you're saying his looks are just as important as to why you fell in love with him?" Homura asks her.

"U-Uh," Sayaka glares at the counter. "Ugh, why am I even answering this?"

"You told me to pretend to care," Homura points out. "This is me, caring."

"W-What do those questions have anything to do with my break up with Kyousuke?!" Sayaka demands.

"Hm." Homura briefly glances away, before she turns back. "Well, for one thing, I don't know you as well as Madoka. I know next to nothing about your relationship with this 'Kyousuke.' I don't even remember his last name. I can't 'pretend' to understand what you're going through, since I know nothing about his importance to you. Therefore, I am trying to paint a bigger picture of how you breaking up with him will affect your life."

Sayaka blinks. "Oh... uhm..."

Homura wants to roll her eyes. Instead she sits up, hands reaching for her water once more. "But the little I do know of you," she says, fingers wrapping around glass, "I believe you will be okay."

Sayaka looks to her in surprise.

"Life is all about experiences," Homura tells her, "and how we learn from them. As they say, 'What doesn't kill us, only makes us stronger.'"

Homura brings the cup close and takes a sip, entirely aware of how Madoka and Sayaka are staring, most likely thinking certain things. She lowers her drink, eyes boring into Sayaka's.

"You, remind me a lot of my brother. You are both annoying, and prone to bouts of loneliness."

Sayaka frowns at this.

"And," Homura continues with a shake of her head. "Like my brother, you are a simpleton. It may take a while for you to recover, and you may try to hide your real feelings behind those horrible fake smiles of yours... but, eventually, you will get over it; it's against your very annoying nature to just sit and mope for too long."

Sayaka's face hovers between confused and angry. It sounds like Homura is trying to comfort her—while at the same time, insulting her.

"Uhm... Uh... thanks... I guess...?"

"Also," Homura adds in, "I believe you are more or less already over him already, if you take into consideration the comments you made at those male models when you were browsing for clothes."

Sayaka's mouth drops open.

Homura's lips twitch in mild amusement. "Though, since you were browsing for clothes for yourself, perhaps they were female...?"

"Y-You! You were awake!?" Sayaka shoots off her chair, intent on wringing her hands around that skinny neck.

Madoka moves to intercept. "Sayaka-chan!"

/

Temperatures are comfortable outside: neither too hot, nor too cold; the temporary lull and a sign that the summer heat will soon be radiating throughout the city, long even after the sun sets.

It's early evening, their footsteps light as they walk to their intended destination, two eagerly, while one still spouts complaints from her lips.

"...I still don't understand why I am being dragged along...?" Homura comments, voice quiet as she continues to brood.

Her mood had dipped considerably when they had decided their plans, made even worse when Sayaka had started digging through the closet to search for an outfit for her once she had flat out told them of her refusal. Sayaka had approached her, threatening to carry her outside if she didn't concede; a memory of Spring Break flashing through her mind, and she had caved in. At least she was given the dignity of deciding her own clothes this time: a thin, purple jacket over a black dress shirt, grey shorts and black tights. And as always, her favourite pair of black boots.

She keeps her hands tucked into her jacket pockets as she continues to follow, fairly reluctantly, down the busy streets of Tokyo.

"Aren't these things better to do with people you are actually close with?" she mutters.

Walking slightly ahead of them, faded blue hoodie and dark jeans wrinkling in certain parts with each step of her bright sneakers, Sayaka glances behind her to glare at Homura. "Stop complaining already! And we're getting dinner afterwards! So it's easier to just have you come along instead of doubling back to pick you up!"

"There are plenty of leftovers at home," Homura tells her, still unconvinced. "Not to mention, I could just meet you two at the restaurant...?"

Madoka turns to Homura, lips jutting out in a pout. Wearing Homura's slightly oversized grey sweater that partially spills over her khaki shorts, and thigh high white socks ending with her usual pink converses, she is ever the picture of innocence.

"Homura-chan, pleaseee? It's more fun with more people!"

Homura sighs. "Madoka—"

Madoka reaches out and grabs Homura's arm, holding it tightly. "Please, Homura-chan?"

She narrows her eyes, before she looks away. "...baby koala."

Madoka blinks. "E-Eh?"

Sayaka hears and laughs loudly.

Homura turns back to Madoka, who's still staring at her with wide eyes. She suddenly thinks of something.

"...If I go, does this mean you forgive me?" Homura asks. At Madoka's blank look, she clarifies. "Uhm. For not telling you about my transplant?"

Madoka shoots her a glare. "Not even close."

Homura sighs.

"But... it's a step towards it," Madoka informs her.

"...We need to get home before 11pm," Homura replies, voice resigned.

Madoka nods, grinning at her victory. "Of course! We probably won't be out that late... it's still pretty early."

"Good, now that that's settled, let's go!" Sayaka shouts, walking faster.

Homura remains at her leisurely pace with Madoka next to her, still clutching her arm tightly.

They watch as Sayaka weaves through the crowds, sneakers stepping with purpose.

Homura glances to Madoka. "Does she even know where it is?"

Madoka frowns. "I'm...not sure."

/

Bright lights, loud noises and a large crowd.

Places that Homura tends to avoid.

Except, she finds herself being lead inside the large glass building, dragged up the stairs by a persistent Madoka.

"I wonder if it'll be busy," Madoka murmurs, arm still looped around Homura's, even after much reassurance that she will not run away.

"Saturday evening? Most likely," Homura replies. She notices that there are more people walking up with them, than down.

As they continue to ascend, Homura wants to sigh as she hears various beeping sounds increasing in volume.

Sayaka is most likely at the top; the brief glances of blue while making their way here at least confirmed that someone who looks like Sayaka was heading in the right direction.

"Doesn't she realize she needs to wait for you, since she has no credits...?" Homura notes, eyes absently reading the random screens deliberately placed on the sides of each step.

"Mm, she's just excited," Madoka tells her. "We didn't get to go last time she visited. The one here is twice the size as the one in Mitakihara, from what I read of the reviews."

Homura turns to her. "Did you go often? Uhm. When you were home?"

Madoka shakes her head. "No, not really. Most of the time, it was me just watching Sayaka-chan play, so we usually went karaoke or did something else. Oh!" her eyes light up. "But I really liked the UFO catchers there! They always have really cute prizes, and sometimes they get the limited editions first, before anywhere else!"

Homura's lips twitch. "Why am I not surprised that would be your favourite game? Especially when your room at home completely gives that away..."

Madoka sticks out her tongue. "What about you, Homura-chan? Have you ever been to this one?"

Almost to the top, they finally spot Sayaka waiting, sneakers no doubt tapping impatiently for them to arrive.

"No," Homura murmurs. "Game centers are a waste of money."

Madoka frowns. "It's not that much of a waste. It's fun to do stuff like this once in a while! We should come here, just the two of us sometime!"

"I'll pass."

"But—"

Homura sighs. "I'll escort you, since I know you dislike going to places by yourself. But I will mostly be looking."

Madoka grins. "I'm sure you'll find something you'll like!"

As soon as Sayaka sees them, she rushes over. "Come on, Madoka! This place is huge! Let's get some tokens!"

"...Maybe I should transfer some credits over, Sayaka-chan."

/

There's a small line for the token machine, and Homura stands off to the side as Madoka and Sayaka line up.

For a Saturday evening, it's not as crowded as she thought it would be. Then again, she's never really been to a game center.

A glance around and she sees there are different types of people here: couples, groups of friends, lonely gamers. She finds that not every machine is occupied, and there are some that are more popular than others.

One of the far walls is lined completely with racing games, recognized by the steering wheels and large screens that display various race tracks. There's sounds coming from those machines that remind her of Sayaka, and she sighs when she realizes there's still one more day of her visit.

Maybe she'll sleep in the living room tonight.

Loud cheers are heard from further back, prompting her to crane her neck to locate the source. There are flashing lights that match the beat of loud, thumping music, but she can't see much from where she's standing. After a moment, she decides it has to be some type of rhythm game; she doesn't know, but she doesn't exactly care.

Her eyes continue to look around, bypassing nearby machines with disinterest. All she sees is bright colours and flashing lights; it almost makes her head pound—

A hand on her arm.

She glances over, and Madoka is smiling at her.

"Let's go, Homura-chan!" Madoka says. "Sayaka wants to try the racing games first."

"Alright," she agrees.

She lets Madoka lead the way.

\

Somehow, Sayaka convinces all three of them to compete in a race.

Homura glances to the side: Madoka is to her left, Sayaka is to the left of her, and they're racing with 7 other random people in the arcade.

She chooses the silver car. A quick look at Madoka's screen, who, surprisingly picks purple. She doesn't have to look at Sayaka's to know she has chosen blue.

Madoka catches her gaze, and gives her a grin.

Homura wants to comment on something, but there's a sudden loud voice from the machine.

"_All racers are ready_!"

She turns back to the screen, watching as the perspective changes into first person view as the race track is shown. There's a fake traffic light on the side, glowing red, and the timer starts counting down.

"Homura!" Sayaka shouts at her.

Homura looks over.

"I'm gonna kick your butt!"

Madoka sighs, even with a smile on her lips. "Sayaka-chan gets a bit competitive, Homura-chan. But... I'll try my best and win against you too, Homura-chan!"

"Mm... alright, Madoka," Homura replies, eyes turning back to the screen as the voice yells out 'one.'

"_GO_!"

All ten racers slam their foot on the gas pedal as the race begins.

/

"Gah! I can't believe you two boxed me in!" Sayaka growls as they now stand to the side of the racing machines.

Homura's lips twitch as Madoka gives Sayaka a sheepish smile.

"I-It wasn't deliberate," Madoka tells her, holding out her hands.

Sayaka points an accusing finger at Homura. "Homura's was! She kept crashing into me!"

"You were in the way."

"I would've won if it wasn't for you!"

"Mmhmm."

"I demand a rematch!"

Homura raises an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah! Let's go, Homura! You too, Madoka!"

"Uhm," Madoka glances at Homura who shrugs. "Alright, Sayaka-chan."

They wait, until the current race ends, hopping into the seats when there's enough empty spots to accommodate all three.

"Gonna kick your butt, Homura!"

Homura chooses the black car this time.

And Madoka chooses purple.

Homura leans in closer. "Madoka."

"Hm?"

"We'll team up in this race too, against airplane girl."

Madoka grins at Homura's nickname for Sayaka.

"Hey! I see you two conspiring against me! Doesn't matter! I'm gonna win!"

"_All racers are ready_!"

"Just keep driving, I'll be your backup, Madoka," Homura tells her, eyes now concentrated on the screen.

Madoka glances over at Sayaka. "Alright, Homura-chan. But... I'm not very good."

"You're good enough," Homura murmurs, watching as the timer counts down.

Madoka smiles at the screen. "Sorry, Sayaka-chan."

/

"...your sacrifice was very valiant, Madoka," Homura comments as they watch the replay—and Madoka blushes when the playback changes to slow motion just as her purple car rounds the corner, proceeding to slam into three other cars, throwing them out of bounds and granting them a 3 second penalty each.

Sayaka had unfortunately been one of those three.

She would've won too.

"Madoka!" Sayaka growls.

"I-It was an accident!" she protests.

Homura nods, coming to her defense. "She was at max speed, and didn't apply her brakes in time."

"Whatever!" Sayaka throws her hands up. "One more! Rematch!"

\\

Madoka has her face in her hands, trying to will her blush away.

"...The physics in this game are quite realistic," Homura notes, watching the screen. "I wasn't aware that the cars will catch on fire."

"It wasn't deliberate," Madoka mutters.

"Ugh, Madoka! You are banned from this game! Homura, me and you! One on one! We'll settle this once and for all."

Homura glances at Madoka who gives her a sheepish smile.

"I'll go get more tokens," she volunteers.

"Are you sure?" Homura looks at her, before she looks around; the game center is starting to get rather busy.

"The sooner one of you win, the sooner we can play something else," Madoka tells her with a smile.

Homura debates for a moment, and finally nods. It would save time to have Madoka line up as they still needed to wait their turn as well.

"...Alright. This will be the last race, Miki Sayaka."

Sayaka pumps her fist. "Yup! And without Madoka cheating, I'll definitely win!"

Madoka sticks her tongue out. "I'll go get the tokens. Good luck, Homura-chan!"

"Hey, where's my good luck?" Sayaka demands.

"You just called me a cheater! So I hope Homura-chan kicks your butt!" Madoka says to her, already moving away.

"Traitor!" Sayaka shouts at her back. She turns to Homura who is watching the current race. "You're going down, Homura!"

"I wonder how she managed to get the car to flip over...I would like to try that."

/

Taking a different path, Madoka finds another token machine that's closer.

She takes her place in line, smile still on her lips. She's enjoying this evening, and is eager to rejoin them to try another game.

"Hey, cutie, are you by yourself?"

Madoka blinks at the voice, and turns. There's a guy grinning at her. She looks around in confusion.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you, babe." He winks at her. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing all by yourself? Your boyfriend neglecting you?"

"Uhm." His face doesn't look friendly at all, and his slicked back hair makes Madoka unconsciously steps back, "I-I'm not here by myself...and I don't have a boyfriend."

"Yeah?" He leers. "I don't have a girlfriend either. I think you and me could work well together. You here with some friends?" he gestures behind him, to where two other guys wave at her. "I got some friends with me too. Maybe we could all, you know, work well together."

Madoka glances around nervously, noticing the people surrounding them avoiding her eyes. "Uhm. That's alright. We're fine by ourselves. Thanks for the offer though."

She turns away.

"Hey, don't be like that."

He continues to heckle her, and she tries her best to ignore them.

She sends Homura and Sayaka a message, just in case.

The line continues to move slowly and the couple in front eventually lets her cut ahead.

"Thank you," she tells them, obviously relieved.

"Are you by yourself? There's always guys like that trying to pick up girls here... you should be more careful," the female warns her.

Madoka shakes her head. "No, I'm with some friends. I just volunteered to get some tokens while they're playing."

"That's good," she says, giving the guys a frown. "You should hurry and meet up with them."

Madoka nods. "Yes, of course. Thank you again."

She glances at her phone: no reply. Most likely they're still racing.

Finally, it's Madoka's turn.

She quickly scans the credits, fingers pressing the button as soon as the machine beeps.

There's a rattling sound as the coins fall, and she grabs them, stuffing them into her pockets.

She turns to the couple behind her. "Thank you again."

They nod, giving her a smile.

She waves to them, and hurries back to the racing machines.

Halfway there, there's a sudden hand on her arm—her heart thuds faster as she has an idea of who it is.

"Hey, where you going? You're going to introduce us to your friends, right?" That same voice.

She turns.

That same slicked back hair.

She pulls her arm away, giving him frown. "I said I wasn't interested. Can you please leave me alone?"

"Come on, you haven't even given us a chance," he tells her. "Seriously, I'm a great guy. You'd be lucky to have me as your boyfriend."

"I'm not interested," she repeats, turning to leave.

The hand grabs her again, pulling her towards him. "Hey hey hey. Come on. You're starting to annoy me. I'm giving you a chance here."

She struggles to pull away and his fingers tighten around her arm. Her eyes search for help, finding the game center busy but everyone is occupied; not even a staff member in sight.

Just as she's about to scream, a voice interrupts.

"Madoka, there you are."

That familiar voice.

"Homura-chan!"

"Oh, is this one of your friends?" he whistles in appreciation.

"Is this someone you know, Madoka?" Homura asks her, staring at the beefy hand that's gripping Madoka's arm.

She shakes her head. "N-No!"

"I see." Homura turns to him. "Is there a reason you're holding onto her so tightly?"

He grins. "Well, yeah. We're going to grab some drinks together."

"You do realize she is underage?" Homura comments.

He winks at her. "Well, I won't tell if you won't."

"I see." Homura glances around, eyes suddenly narrowing at something, before she looks up to the ceiling.

Madoka stares at her. "Homura-chan...?"

Homura points to the guys standing behind the one that is holding onto Madoka. "Are you his friends?"

The one in sunglasses grins at her. "Yeah, hot stuff. We'll be yours too."

"Can you stand a bit closer?" Homura asks.

"Sure, I'll stand where ever you want me to, babe."

They crowd in around them.

"How's this?"

Homura doesn't reply, merely turning back to the guy who still has his hand on Madoka's arm. "Can you unhand her?"

He glances over to his friends, grin on his face. "Are you going to come with us for drinks?"

"If you're paying."

Madoka's eyes widen. "Homura-chan!"

He lets go. "Yeah, of course we'll pay! It's the least we could do for a couple of hot babes."

Madoka quickly moves over to Homura. "H-Homura-chan! W-What are you doing!"

Before either of them can react, Homura slams the heel of her boot down onto the first guy's foot.

He gasps in pain.

Homura grinds her heel down harder, causing him to whimper.

His friend tries to step in. "H-Hey!"

"I am this close to breaking your friend's foot," Homura warns him. "Either you three leave, while he can still walk. Or, he will be carried out of here on a stretcher as I call the cops to come arrest you for harassment. So tell me, which would you prefer?"

"What!" Hands reach for her.

Homura slaps their hands away and points up. "There's two security cameras to your right, one in the back, one to your left. From any perspective, you three are surrounding two females. And the longer you stand here, the more attention you are drawing to yourself." For emphasis, she presses harder onto his foot and he groans in pain.

"A-Alright already! We'll leave!" he yells.

She steps back and Madoka quickly latches onto her arm.

"Geez, you're freaking crazy! We just wanted to get some drinks!" he shouts, heavily leaning on his uninjured foot.

"Is there a problem here?" another voice cuts in.

They all turn to see a security guard frowning at them.

"Uh, nope, no problems!" the guys deny, turning to Madoka and Homura. "Right, ladies?"

"They were harassing my friend," Homura replies. She points to the guy she stepped on. "He grabbed her arm and was trying to force her to leave with him."

The guard stares at them. "We don't condone that kind of behavior here." He turns to Madoka. "Did you want to press charges?"

She shakes her head. "N-No. T-That's okay..."

"H-Hey, we were just picking up girls! That's not against the law!"

The guard glares. "You call this a simple 'picking up?' This girl is absolutely terrified of you! It doesn't matter if she doesn't want to press charges; you three are coming with me."

"What!"

The guard presses a button on his headset. "Requesting backup. Location: in front of the Taiko Machines."

"You can't do anything to us! You're not even a real police officer!"

"There's a strict no 'pick up' rule here! Didn't you read the signs!"

All three of them try to make a run for it. The security officer manages to tackle one while another one tries to dart through the crowd, but is suddenly sideswiped by a good Samaritan.

And the last one stumbles as soon as he places weight on his injured foot; there's a reason Homura favours boots over regular sneakers.

Two more security officers appear and they swarm over the other two.

Madoka looks around, suddenly aware of the whispers and attention.

The perpetrators are pulled to their feet and dragged to the security office in the back, onlookers murmuring and turning to watch.

"Are you alright, Madoka?" Homura asks her, reaching for her arm as the crowd starts dispersing.

She nods. "I-I'm okay, Homura-chan. Thank you."

Homura's hands are gentle as she pushes Madoka's sleeve up, exposing the skin underneath. They can see marks from where he had gripped her arm.

"Does it hurt?" Homura asks her, brushing her fingers against the light bruising.

Madoka shakes her head. "N-No, not really."

Homura frowns, and lowers Madoka's sleeve back to its original position. "I apologize Madoka."

"H-Huh?"

"I should have gone with you."

Madoka blinks. "W-What? I-It wasn't your fault, Homura-chan! Plus, I volunteered to get the tokens... who knew they would have those kinds of people here..."

Homura shakes her head. "Game centers are notorious for pick ups...or so I've heard. I'm assuming you never really ran into trouble in Mitakihara?"

"N-No, not really..."

"Tokyo is not like Mitakihara," Homura reminds her. "You need to carry a bit more caution here."

Madoka averts her eyes. "I-I know..."

To her surprise, Homura holds out her hand. "Come on, let's go find Miki Sayaka. We split up to find you."

Madoka looks up, searching Homura's face. She can only see kindness in those lavender eyes.

She reaches for Homura's hand. "T-Thank you, Homura-chan..."

She intertwines their fingers, finally noticing how her own hand is shaking, compared to the steady hold of Homura's.

Without saying anything, Homura tightens her grip. She looks back to Madoka. "Let's go, Madoka."

Finally feeling safe, Madoka smiles to herself. "Okay, Homura-cha**n."**

* * *

**AN: **Y/N? Also, as always, thanks for reading/reviews ! I'll one day learn how to write better. Or disappear. Either, or.


	4. Chapter 4

**P**rogress is slow**.**

Feet barely moving and hands still grasped, the further they continue to walk, the more Madoka is starting to notice just how crowded the game center really is.

Homura's trying her best, leading them in between empty gaps and openings, but no matter how hard they try to avoid it, they're still continuously jostled, and bumped.

But, more than the increasingly uncomfortable amount of people surrounding them, more than those indistinguishable murmurs whispering loudly into their ears, the one thing that Madoka is even more aware of, is the feeling of Homura's hand holding hers.

How that slender hand, that usually seems so strong, suddenly seems so fragile at the same time.

Madoka unconsciously tightens her grip, her own fingers pressing against thinner ones. Right on cue, Homura turns back, a silent question asked in those lavender eyes.

It's only really a quick glance, because they can't stop in the middle of this moving crowd, but Madoka smiles, shaking her head, and it's enough that Homura turns away, continuing to push her way forward.

A seemingly barricade of people all around, but they finally reach their destination: the racing games. Homura drags her towards the wall, where they take refuge in a small space wide enough for them to stand in peace amongst the heavy roar of engines.

Madoka watches Homura peer around, eyes obviously searching for someone in the sea of heads and nameless faces.

And suddenly, she leans in close.

"I don't see Miki Sayaka anywhere," Homura murmurs. "This is supposed to be our meeting point. Did she message you, Madoka? Madoka...?"

Still watching, Madoka jumps when she realizes that Homura is talking to her. She stumbles over her feet in her surprise.

Like always, Homura is there, always quick to react. Hand lightly touching her waist, enough pressure to keep her from falling, and then she's pulling away.

"Are you alright?" Homura glances at her, brow furrowed in worry. "Is the crowd too much? Did you need to take a breather outside?"

Her voice remains quiet, and she remains close to be heard.

Madoka shakes her head, cheeks dusted with pink; after that amazing confrontation, Homura also seems even more dashing today.

Though, if she thinks about it, that's just the usual Homura, every day.

"...Madoka?"

"A-Ah," she shakes her head again. "R-Right. Let me check."

She fights down the disappointment when Homura moves her hand away, and instead reaches into her pockets for her phone.

Six messages.

One from Homura, and five from Sayaka; each one slightly more panicked than the previous.

A reply sent, before she turns to Homura, finding her still searching the crowds, eyes no doubt on the lookout for that familiar shade of blue.

Madoka reaches over, fingers grasping the sleeve of her jacket as she tugs lightly, prompting Homura to turn back.

Once again, leaning close.

Fighting down her blush, Madoka informs her where Sayaka has gone. "Sayaka-chan heard about something happening with the security guards. She went to the office to check since I didn't answer."

Homura sighs; she doesn't want to head in that direction any time soon.

As if mocking her, loud cheers erupt from further back.

"There's some... strange contest going on," Homura explains when she sees Madoka looking around in curiosity. "It's a complete bottleneck over there...It's why it took so long to find you."

The phone buzzes in response.

Madoka glances down to check. "...Uhm, Sayaka-chan wants us to meet her by dance games..."

Homura stares. "Let me guess... these dance games are over there?"

More cheers.

Madoka nods, fingers scrolling through the message. "'It's where the loud crowd is, you can't miss it.'"

"I don't understand her reasoning. There's less people in this area. Isn't it easier for her to head in this direction?"

"'And before Homura can ask, they're the reason I wanted to come to the game center in the first place,'" Madoka answers, eyes still reading the screen.

"Maybe we should just leave without her..." Homura mutters.

Madoka finally looks up, catching that small bit of worry in Homura's eyes, before lavender turns away. Madoka watches her closely, and after a moment, she realizes that it's the crowd that Homura's worried about.

Madoka grabs her sleeve again, tugging it to gain her attention.

"I'll go," Madoka tells her when she turns back. "You can wait here, Homura-chan. I'll drop off the tokens, and come back."

Homura frowns. "You already went off on your own once. It's better if we stick together."

"But—"

Homura cuts her off. "It's fine."

They're both now staring at one another.

Madoka looks down to her phone. "...I'll tell Sayaka-chan to come back—"

A hand on her wrist, stopping her.

"It's fine," Homura insists. "Let's just go meet her."

That tone in her voice, tells Madoka that Homura is now completely dead set on the idea.

Madoka remembers those few times they have argued, and knows that Homura is even more stubborn than she is.

"Fine," she sighs out in exasperation, quickly sending out her reply to Sayaka, before tucking her phone away.

Homura nods, withdrawing her hand, but Madoka reaches out, grabbing it.

"There's a lot of people, we might get separated," she explains at Homura's curious gaze.

Another nod.

Homura starts moving, but suddenly turns back.

Madoka watches as her eyes dart to the side, before meeting her stare straight on.

"Make sure not to let go," Homura tells her as Madoka's eyes widen in surprise. "...You might get lost in the crowd, since you're so small."

There's a pause as Madoka processes her words.

Before she punches her hard on the shoulder. "You, are so bad today! You know, if I wore high heels, I could be as tall as you!"

Homura doesn't say anything, but that small smile on her lips tells Madoka exactly what she's thinking.

She punches her again.

"...Ow."

Madoka sticks out her tongue. "You deserved that."

Hand rubbing her shoulder, Homura nods in acceptance. "Alright, let's go find airplane girl."

She starts leading the way through the crowd.

Madoka shakes her head even as her lips tug into a fond smile. She intertwines their fingers, smiling wider when Homura tightens her hold.

/

If the path to the racing machines was considered hectic, further into the game center is utter chaos.

Apparently, a good amount of people knew of this contest, and Sayaka had chosen the perfect weekend to visit.

Madoka is now clutching onto Homura tightly, both of them trying not to get swept away by the ongoing tide of people.

As they slowly follow the crowd, there's a rise in volume to the cheers and music the closer they get to the main attraction. The bass in particular thumps around them, and that constant rhythm is starting to throw Homura off; it feels like her own heart is beating loudly in her chest.

She concentrates on Madoka's hand to keep her own breaths steady.

Somehow, even amongst the flashing lights, and the increasing roar of voices, Homura manages to spot Sayaka.

She's off to the side, leaning against a wall that's across the stage set up for this large contest. Her eyes are concentrated on the giant screen that sits at the back, the display wide enough that even from this distance, Homura has a clear view of the footage shown. It doesn't mean she cares though, and she focuses on more important things: like trying to keep calm to keep her blood pressure in check.

It's an uphill battle. Her annoyance continues to grow with how they can't seem to reach Sayaka despite how close she is. She ignores the gasps of pain when she deliberately throws a few elbows, using unnecessary force after people start stepping on her.

Finally, they manage to join Sayaka in her spot.

Homura struggles to catch her breath as Madoka slips an arm around her waist in worry. She knows Homura won't appreciate nagging words in her ear, and instead turns to Sayaka.

She leans in. "Sayaka-chan!"

Sayaka jumps at her voice. "Hey! Madoka! Are you alright?" She yells to be heard over the crowd. "I saw those punks in the back office, and the security officers told me what happened!"

She quickly checks Madoka over, twisting her around even though Madoka is trying her best to keep her arm around Homura.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay, Sayaka-chan," Madoka responds, her voice raised for the same reason. "Homura-chan stepped in before anything could happen."

Sayaka nods in approval. She reaches over, suddenly placing her hand atop Homura's head.

Ignoring the narrowed eyes and her hunched posture, Sayaka pats her. "Good girl! You did a good job!"

The first time Sayaka had done this, Homura had slapped her.

This time, she is very lucky Madoka is in the way.

Homura moves, trying to shrug her hand off. "Stop that." She takes a deep breath. "You and that idiot really are alike in the most annoying ways."

Her voice remains quiet, and only Madoka can hear her because she's close enough.

Her annoyed expression though, already tells Sayaka what she said.

Sayaka grins, finally removing her hand. "Hey, I would've been the one saving Madoka, but somehow my 'Madoka senses' aren't as strong as yours!"

Another annoyed sigh, released in a shallow breath. "For the last time, I don't have these ridiculous 'Madoka senses,' you always speak of."

Sayaka looks at Madoka, ignoring Homura. "So we're about to race, right? And then, Homura, suddenly whips out her phone, like she got this second sense that you were in trouble!"

A little calmer now, Homura straightens up. "...the alerts on my phone are set to 5 minutes intervals; I missed the first time Madoka sent her message, but I heard the alert after."

Madoka hugs her close, and lavender flickers to her briefly.

Sayaka suddenly throws a glare over her shoulder at someone who's pushing against her, before turning back. "I have no idea what you're saying, but your 'Madoka senses' were definitely tingling!"

Homura's reply is drowned out by more cheers, and she and Madoka wince at the sound.

When the roars lower, Homura turns to Sayaka.

"Regardless, Madoka is safe, and we have found you. Can we please leave now?" Homura asks, obviously not enjoying the atmosphere at all. "There's no possible way you'll be able to 'dance' with this crowd."

Sayaka stares.

"Homura-chan wants to leave!" Madoka yells out.

Sayaka turns to her. "Madoka, did you manage to get any tokens?"

"Huh?" Madoka blinks. "Y-Yeah. I got like 25 of them, since we burned through them so quickly."

Sayaka nods. "Can I have like, 10?"

One arm still around Homura's waist, Madoka reaches into her pocket, counting off the amount before holding out her hand to give them to her. She nearly loses them when the crowd behind them surges forward. Sayaka barely manages to keep the both of them upright.

Once steadied, and coins accepted, Sayaka grins. "Thanks! I'm going to try and join this contest; there's a regular, free for all, being held alongside the pros, but you need to at least pay the normal amount it takes to play! I just gotta queue up!"

Homura stares. "...With this crowd? Do you know how long that will take?"

Sayaka waves her off, almost smacking some random person in the process. "Whoops! Sorry!"

She turns back to Homura.

"Seriously, I can't hear a word you're saying! Don't you know how to project your voice? Whatever, your face already tells me what you're saying! No worries! I don't need you two to line up with me!" She suddenly leans in close to Madoka, mouth next to her ear, hand cupped in front. "This is the perfect opportunity for you to turn this into a date. Impress her with your amazing UFO catcher skills!"

Madoka flushes as Sayaka pulls away. "W-What?!"

Sayaka points to Homura. "I'm gonna be here, so I expect you to take care of Madoka! You have a set amount of tokens, so at least use them before you decide to leave! I'll join you when I'm done!"

Homura is ready to protest, but she glances to Madoka, and sighs. "...Fine, as long as we aren't anywhere near _here_."

At Sayaka's expectant look, Homura nods, making sure to at least show her annoyance by rolling her eyes.

Sayaka winks at Madoka, giving her a thumbs up. "Go get 'em, baby koala!"

"S-Sayaka-chan!"

\

"Are you feeling better now, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks, hands now wrapped around Homura's arm.

A brief break after another horrendous trek through the gauntlet of people, they're now in a quieter, and thankfully, emptier part of the arcade.

Absently fidgeting with the water bottle in her hands, Homura nods. "Yes, I am fine now, Madoka."

Madoka guiltily looks down. "I'm sorry, Homura-chan. I know... you didn't really want to come here in the first place...And then there ends up being some kind of contest..."

Homura sighs, shaking her head. "No, it's alright, Madoka. It's fine, and," she gestures around, "it's nicer, here, at least. Seems like everyone is over on the other side."

"I guess everyone knew about it, but us?" Madoka glances around. "You would think there would've been posters or something along the way though..."

Homura blinks. "Ah... That, must have been what that sign was about..."

Madoka turns to her. "Sign?"

"Uhm. On the stairs. Something about, semi-finals, for the Tokyo circuit."

Madoka stares. "...You saw one?"

"...It didn't seem important."

"Homura-chan..."

"...In my defense, there were plenty of strange acronyms that meant nothing to me. And they didn't actually mention the word 'contest.'"

Madoka sighs, tightening her hold on Homura's arm. "You..." she shakes her head, smile on her lips. "Homura-chan, sometimes... you are hopelessly adorable."

Homura's suddenly concentrated on something to the side, and Madoka knows she's embarrassed.

She decides to let her recover, turning to the nearby machines.

Her high pitched squeal startles Homura into almost dropping the bottle, but she's too distracted to notice.

"Oh, they have new Honey Bears!" Madoka gushes, moving quickly, dragging Homura with her to one of the UFO catchers.

"'Honey Bear?'" Homura asks, watching with amusement as Madoka presses her hands to the glass, eyes staring at the prizes.

"Look, Homura-chan!" she points to a rotund bear, yellow in colour, except for the black tipped ears and black stomach. "They stopped making new ones years ago, but I guess they're bringing them back! That one's a new design! They're usually one colour toned!"

A small smile. "...I assume this means you're going to try to win it?"

"Of course! Come on, let's go find someone who works here!" Madoka tells her, hands once against clasping Homura's arm as she drags her away from the machine.

Surprised at her eagerness, Homura merely increases her pace to avoid being pulled along.

"Uhm, why, Madoka?"

Eyes searching, Madoka continues to move around the game floor, steps now filled with purpose. "It's not in a good position. Most of the time, if you ask, they'll help move it so you have a better chance at winning."

Homura blinks. "That's... surprisingly kind of them. Aren't the objectives of those games to trick customers of their money?"

"Mm," Madoka finally spots someone wearing a black and white checkered shirt: the uniform for the staff at this game center. "It still takes some practice and luck to win some of the prizes," she answers, footsteps hurried to snag the worker before someone else.

"I see."

Madoka approaches the worker with a smile on her face. With only a few sentences exchanged, they're making their way back to the machine, Madoka, grinning in obvious anticipation, Homura, trailing after them with a lot less enthusiasm.

It's a quick process, and the bear is easily moved closer to the opening.

As soon as he is done, he's snagged by another couple, but Madoka is already scanning her phone against the machine.

"It doesn't take tokens?" Homura asks, curious.

There's strange music playing, and Madoka now has her hands on the controls. "Nope, it's easier for people to just scan credits, especially considering how much someone can spend on one machine."

The music stops, and the crane hand starts moving as Madoka maneuvers it.

Homura watches closely; she's never really seen one in action before. "I wonder why they don't do the same for the other games. Would save the trouble of having to exchange for tokens."

Madoka tiptoes, turning her head and body, eyes trying to match the position of the claw to the bear.

"Mm, the games use tokens for some sort of retro effect. Kind of like how the coffee shop uses those chalk boards instead of screens. Old game centers used to accept 100yen coins, but since they got rid of the old currency and introduced credits, they switched the machines to tokens instead."

Homura glances at her. "You... know quite a bit about this."

Satisfied with what she sees, Madoka hits the button.

"I did a bit of research in high school," she murmurs. "I was curious too," she gives Homura a quick smile, before turning back to the catcher.

They both watch as the claw slowly lowers, clasps opening at the same time.

It lands directly on top, but when it closes, the hooks are too weak. The bear is nudged slightly, before the catcher returns to its original position.

More music.

Homura gives her a nervous glance. "Uhm. That was close, Madoka..."

Madoka turns to her, smile still on her lips. "That was just a test run, Homura-chan. All the machines, the claws have different strengths, and sometimes they set it weaker or stronger, depending on the time of day. I wanted to see how easy it would be to win."

Homura can only blankly stare.

"This is the real one," Madoka tells her, hands expertly shifting the controls once more.

The click as the button is pressed, and they both watch as the claw lowers, opening right above the bear, before it dives down.

It closes, and as it starts moving back up, to Homura's surprise, one of the hooks snags onto the small tag sewn on one of the bear's legs.

She watches as the claw brings the bear up, still hanging on only by that piece of cloth. There's music playing as the claw returns, and then the prize is dropped into the chute.

Madoka quickly retrieves it.

"It's so cute," she gushes, hugging it tightly. "The eyes, especially!"

She turns it around, showing Homura how they're slanted.

Homura's lips twitch.

/

"Here you go." There's a sticker held out, and Sayaka hastily accepts it. "All signed up. Good luck!"

"Thanks!" She grins, and quickly hops out of the way.

It takes her a moment, after she's once again engulfed by the crowd, to find a spot to stand. She peels back her sticker and with a strong slap, it's placed on her right shoulder.

A glance down: #267.

A confirmation at the score board: #120.

Plenty of time until her turn, but she doesn't mind watching the competition.

Her shoes tap to the beat as she watches the screen.

\

One arm holding Homura's, the other looped around her new prize, Madoka grins as they continue their way through the game center.

"Is there anything you want, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks, watching as Homura peers at all the machines in clear disinterest.

"Not really," she murmurs.

"We could get Tora-kun a friend," Madoka teases.

Homura glances at her, before quickly looking away.

Madoka bumps her leg with her hip. "Come on, you tease me all the time. And I think it's cute you still have your childhood toy with you."

Homura sighs. "I regret ever showing him to you."

"You didn't exactly 'show' him to me," Madoka tells her. "More like I woke up before you could hide him under your pillow."

Homura doesn't respond, and Madoka knows her enough to know that's her equivalent of pouting.

"Fine," Madoka sighs out. "Is there anything you want to play then? We still have our tokens."

"Hm..." Homura glances around, eyes moving past the UFO catchers, when something catches her attention.

Quick to spot Homura's reaction, Madoka turns to her. "Did you find something?"

"Ah," Homura blinks, and shakes her head. "No."

Madoka stares at her, and turns to where she had last seen Homura looking. "Did you see something over there you wanted?"

Without waiting for her to reply, Madoka moves, dragging her over, until they're in front of another UFO catcher.

She gives her an expectant look. "Homura-chan?"

Homura sighs, raising her hand reluctantly to point at one of the prizes. "Doesn't this remind you of Amy?"

"Hm?" Madoka looks over, and it doesn't take long until she finds exactly what Homura is referring to.

It's a small, black cat plush, complete with a pink collar around its neck.

Homura had met Madoka's cat, Amy, over Spring Break, and that was when Madoka had found out that Homura adored cats.

Madoka smiles, pushing the round bear into Homura's hands. "Here, hold this for a bit, Homura-chan."

She does as told, watching as Madoka pulls out her phone to scan it against the machine. "Madoka?"

Madoka turns to her with a wink. "I don't even need to have them move it for me. These machines are easier to win from, since the prizes are smaller."

One quick catch later, Madoka crouches, hands slipping through the chute opening to retrieve her new prize.

"Here you go, Homura-chan," she says, holding the cat out.

"Uhm," Homura stares.

"It's, a thank you," Madoka tells her, "for saving me, earlier."

Homura hesitantly accepts it, handing her back the bear in the process. "You... didn't have to."

Madoka grins. "I didn't, but I wanted to." Her grin softens into a smile. "Thank you, for coming to my rescue, Homura-chan."

Lavender stares down at the small cat doll now cradled in her hand, before she glances back to Madoka. "It's...Uhm. Y-You're welcome..."

"Mmhmm," Madoka reaches for her arm once more. "Now, let's go play something. Those tokens are worth their weight in gold; we better use them."

"...Alright."

Madoka smiles to herself when she sees Homura tighten her hold on the cat.

/

The more she watches, the more she feels the blood pumping through her veins; it can't be helped, she has always thrived in loud, competitive settings.

Her number isn't getting closer, but she really doesn't mind.

The loud cheers from the crowd fuels her excitement, and there's no way she's bored when some of the players are really flashy, throwing in their own stylized dancing, while still managing to hit those arrows perfectly.

It's been a while since she has last played, but the thought of adaptation, of freestyle, is also exciting.

Her lips move, joining the crowd as they sing to one of the most well known, and popular songs for this game.

"Hey."

The voice in her ear has her screaming. Luckily for her, the crowd is loud enough to drown out her embarrassment.

Though a few observers nearby throw her confused looks.

She turns her head, insult ready at a moment's notice.

"What?" she snaps; this person is completely in her personal space, but they don't seem to care.

"You by yourself?"

She narrows her eyes, taking in the hooded figure, and already knows they mean trouble.

She holds up a fist. "Nope. And you better back off unless you want to meet one of my best friends."

"Hey," hands held out in appeasement, before one hand sweeps back their black hood, revealing a feminine face, sharp eyes, and a devious grin. "I'm not hitting on you, if that's what you're asking."

She straightens out her ponytail of red hair, throwing another grin.

Sayaka stares. "What do you want then?"

Crimson eyes flicker to her shoulder, and the stranger points to the sticker. "267? Most people will be going home by the time you even get your turn."

Sayaka shrugs. "So? This stuff is for fun; it's not like I'm a part of the real circuit."

"That's true," the stranger grins. "But," she leans in close, "you wanna be?"

Sayaka bites down the urge to step back; she won't be intimidated. "What?"

"I need someone for doubles," she tells her, pointing over to the board. "My partner bailed on me."

"...Shouldn't you ask someone else that, I don't know, isn't a random stranger?"

"Nah," she says, hands gesturing as she talks. "You'd be surprised how many people get cold feet with the thought of all those people watching them."

Sayaka sighs. "You don't even know me. What—"

A hand points to the boards. "You see that name there, 'Crimson Devil?'"

Sayaka glances over, eyes completely glossing over the names. "Yeah?"

"No, seriously. Look."

Sayaka sighs, turning her attention to the board. Her eyes widen. "No way is that you."

"Seriously. I just need someone there, standing with me. I'm already a shoe in for finals, but rules state you need two people on the platform, otherwise it's instant disqualification."

Sayaka stares at her.

She leans in close. "Come on, I'll totally make it worth your while."

Something about her voice, has Sayaka gulping nervously.

\

Out of UFO catcher territory, they're now far away from the loud cheers.

They have already tried a rhythm game, one with controls set up to mimic a DJ turntable. Homura had taken over the scratching discs, while Madoka volunteered to be in charge of the buttons.

They had failed horribly after Homura had accidentally hit the randomize switch, and the song had been a five star out of six.

It had ended though, with Homura smiling in amusement, and a flustered Madoka who had been their reason of failure: most of the song required button mashing.

Madoka had punched her arm when she had seen how easy Homura's job had been. "You cheater! You knew!"

Homura had merely turned away, still smiling to herself.

Another rhythm game, this time with a guitar, for revenge.

But to Madoka's frustration, Homura had passed with flying colours.

"Grrr, fine. I get it. You're amazing at music games, while I'm a complete klutz," Madoka grumbles, burying her face into the soft plush.

Homura retrieves her water bottle atop the game station; the cat is tucked safely in her jacket pocket.

"Guess those piano lessons I took when I was younger were good for something," Homura tells her.

Madoka lifts her head. "You took piano?"

"Mmhmm. Until I became too sick."

Madoka drops into silence, once again looping their arms together and clutching the bear close.

Homura senses the mood change, and sighs softly. She quickly glances around, searching for a distraction.

And spots it, across the far wall.

"That looks interesting, Madoka," she says, feet moving and pulling Madoka along with her.

"Eh?"

Homura drags her over, until they stop in front of a row of arcade games that all have one thing in common: plastic guns tucked into metal holsters.

"Shooting games?" Madoka questions, a bit surprised at Homura's interest.

Homura nods, eyes evaluating the screens to determine what kind of settings are in each game.

Madoka tugs at Homura's arm, pulling her away from the next machine. "C-Can we not play that one, Homura-chan?"

There's a sudden growl from the preview, and Madoka jumps in fear.

Homura steers her around, avoiding the next two machines as well. "Zombies aren't real, Madoka."

"I know... but..." She glances back, eyes nervous. "They're still really scary."

"Hm," Homura looks at her, before turning away. "How many tokens do we have left, Madoka?"

Unwilling to let go, Madoka somehow manages to dig through her pockets, squishing the bear against her in the process.

"Uhm," she pulls them out, holding the coins in her open palm.

"10? We only used 5?" Homura asks.

"I think there's still one in my pocket."

Homura stares at the tokens, eyes narrowing. "Alright. I think, I have the perfect strategy."

"Huh?"

Homura nods. "We will find the most expensive shooting game here. And play that one. Do you have any objections, Madoka?"

Madoka blinks, before she sighs.

So much for their date.

But—it's definitely something that Homura would do.

"No. That's... that's fine," she replies, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

Homura is already turning away to find her objective. "I saw an ad, for this ice cream parlour on the 5th floor. Let's go there after we're done. My treat, since you paid for the tokens."

Madoka brightens immediately. "Sure!"

/

"Okay," Sayaka takes a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "I'm good. I'm fine. This is fine."

Eyes peer at her, eyebrow raised. "You're not gonna chicken out on me, are you?"

Without answering, Sayaka stares at the new sticker now pasted over her old one: Semi-Finals. Team Devil.

They're now backstage, where the higher platform gives her a clear view of the crowd. So many faces.

Playing for fun is one thing; subbing in for someone for semi-finals is _crazy_.

Exhilarating, but crazy.

Oh so crazy.

Her face warps into a grin, and she faces her new partner.

This, is exactly what she needed. Something careless, yet not too much.

She holds up her hand, giving her a thumbs up. "I'm good."

A fanged grin. "Awesome."

\

To Madoka's relief, the most expensive shooting game is not horror based; she doesn't have to worry about screaming every time a zombie pops up.

Instead, they find it at the very end of the row. Madoka had at first confused the game with a photo booth but the label '3d Hunter' and the sounds from within, seemed to state otherwise. When they had lifted the curtain to step inside, they had found out that it was definitely not a photo booth.

It turned out to be a small square shaped room, lined with projection screens on all sides of the walls that extended from floor to ceiling.

They completely enter, and one of the screens is showing the demo.

"It's... almost like a full immersion," Homura murmurs, eyes scanning around.

"Uhm, i-it seems kind of difficult, Homura-chan..." Madoka gulps nervously, watching the instructions.

"But, it's exactly 5 coins per player, Madoka," Homura tells her, pointing to the wall where there's a coin slot.

Madoka glances at the screen, and then back to Homura. "...Are you sure you want to try this one?"

Homura nods.

"...Uhm... Alright. I-I guess, I could try it..."

"We'll have ice cream after, too," Homura reminds her.

The thought of ice cream does at least sound nice.

Her face flushes lightly, when she remembers that Homura tends to split desserts since she can never finish them.

Shared ice cream.

"Ice cream," Madoka repeats, moving to deposit the tokens.

/

The roar of the crowd is near deafening when they step onto the stage.

And all for that one person.

Sayaka glances over, watching as the 'Crimson Devil' waves at her audience, wide grin on her face, eyes almost radiant.

She's definitely enjoying the attention.

She catches Sayaka's gaze, and winks.

It's definitely too loud to hear what she's saying, but Sayaka's pretty sure her lips read, 'Good luck.'

She turns away, face suddenly warm.

Because she did not just think what she did, about this 'Crimson Devil.'

\

They're still stuck at the weapon screen, held back because Madoka continues to waver between her choices.

"Uhm... I'm... I don't know which one I should choose, Homura-chan..." She looks over to Homura's screen, and sees that she has chosen dual pistols. "Should I choose the same...?"

Homura is concentrated on another screen, reading the individual descriptions for each weapon as there is nothing else to do until Madoka finally decides.

"Anything should be fine, Madoka," she murmurs. She points to the screen, "Look, they say machine guns are good for beginners, since it has automatic firing, and the amount of ammunition makes it so that you don't need to reload as often."

Madoka stares, and Homura already knows she's not going to choose it.

"Mm... let's see," Homura says instead, continuing to thumb through the selection. She pauses, noticing another tab for 'Additional Weapons' that she hadn't noticed the first run through.

Curious, she pushes it, and another screen opens, this time with archaic looking weapons.

"How about these, Madoka?" she asks, gesturing to the new selection.

Madoka looks, but none of them catch her attention. Swords, spears, and even a very old styled musket.

Homura continues browsing, when Madoka holds out her hand.

"Go back!"

Homura toggles to the previous, and Madoka points.

"Maybe that...?"

Homura nods. "It's the first weapon that actually caught your attention. And as there's," she looks to another screen, "two minutes left to decide, I believe you should go with that, Madoka."

Madoka suddenly glances down, to the bear still held in her hands. She had refused to place it on the floor next to the bottle since it would get dirty, but there's no way she's going to be able to play, while holding onto this thing.

Homura turns, and sees Madoka biting her lip, staring down at that ridiculously round bear in her arms.

"Madoka."

She looks up. "Hm?"

Homura pulls out the cat plush from her jacket, and holds it out. "Here, we'll trade." She gestures to the cat. "You can hold Amy—"

"Amy?" Madoka asks, smiling.

Homura quickly glances away, cheeks suddenly stained with light pink. "I-It's a temporary name. You... You can hold this cat—"

"I can hold Amy," Madoka teases, still smiling.

"...You can hold this, and I'll take that bear of yours. You'll have more trouble using your weapon while holding that, than I will."

Madoka glances down, and then back to the screen; she'll need her arms free for the pull back, according to the instructions.

Another beep.

One minute left.

She nods. "Alright, I'll hold Amy," Homura bites back a sigh at this, "and you can hold... Homu-chan."

Homura blinks. "...What?"

This time it's Madoka's turn to blush, eyes shy, arms holding the bear close. "H-Her name is Homu-chan. She looks... like a Homu-chan."

There's only silence between them, and suddenly a voice from the game interrupts.

"_45 seconds until we begin! All players, please ready your selection!"_

Homura turns back to her, and gestures to the cat. "Alright. You can hold Amy, and I'll hold... Homu-chan."

Madoka nods, grinning, and they exchange their plushies.

The screen is starting the count down now, and Madoka glances over, resisting the urge to take out her phone.

Because Homura, holding that bear, looks absolutely adorabl**e.**

* * *

**AN: **Kyouko would _have_ to be introduced in a game center. But, this story is mainly Mado/Homu, as are most(ALL) of my stories. :)

Thanks again for reading/reviewing! And I don't dislike when people point out errors or give criticisms, as long as they describe it in detail so I know exactly what you mean, whatever it is. It gives me food for thought on how I can improve. Thanks again!


	5. Chapter 5

**S**he's rusty.

That's all she can think as the final note fades away—not that she can hear it as it's drowned out by the crowd as they cheer.

It's been too long, and she doesn't recognize some of the songs.

And, it was just her luck that the first one, had to be one of those she doesn't know.

She glances over, to where the Crimson Devil looks just as cool and composed as when they had first stepped on stage.

It's a three song semi-final.

And the first is over.

When she turns to the scoreboard, she's not surprised to see that they're ranked lowest of the 10 semi-finalists.

Because of her.

She exhales a puff of breath into her bangs, and slaps her cheeks with her hands.

There's an arm slipped around her shoulders, and she turns to see the Crimson Devil, all but breathing down her neck to be heard over the loud crowd.

"Relax, alright? I didn't expect much from you, anyways. You're doing pretty good for a novice. Just leave everything to me; keep doing what you're doing: standing there, looking pretty."

Three emotions cycle past: embarrassment, disappointment, and the last one, has Sayaka shoving her new partner away as she growls in anger.

She watches as the Crimson Devil catches her balance, and that arrogant grin only fuels the fire.

Blue eyes narrow.

There's a thumbs up as a response, and they both turn back to the screen as the announcer and crowd counts down to the next song.

One last look at her partner, and she resolves to wipe that smirk off her face.

The thumping bass starts alongside a synthesizer—and the second song begins.

/

They're in a long corridor, stainless steel lining the walls, the floors laid out in a pattern of multi-coloured tiles. The open ceiling, or maybe it's the sky, is a nauseating blend of colours with numerous staircases spiraling above. Looking up makes Homura dizzy, and Madoka is the one keeping an eye out for any enemies that may appear overhead.

Visibility is decent in this section, though, for some reason, the scenery is splashed in a light sepia toned filter. That, had taken them some time to get used to.

Homura glances over to Madoka, who has her face tilted up.

Those pink eyes widen, and Homura watches as she lifts her bow with one hand, the other stringing back an arrow.

A quick release, and the squeak tells Homura that whatever Madoka had spotted, is now dead.

Lowering her weapon, Madoka notices her watching, and gives her a smile.

It's only because Homura can see Amy nestled in Madoka's arm, that she remembers they're still playing a game.

"Homura, Madoka." The cute, high-pitched voice of their guide calls out to them, and they both turn.

He is strange creature, with a white, furry body in the general shape of a cat, but ears abnormally long, ending with jagged, pink coloured fur.

The way his beady red eyes stare makes Homura's skin crawl. "There are 3 minutes left. You two need to find the next section, otherwise you will be lost, and trapped in this maze forever."

Madoka suddenly presses herself against Homura. "He's creepy, isn't he, Homura-chan?"

Homura nods. "Very."

"He's convenient though," Madoka says, looking around. "We haven't seen any other creatures in a while, minus the flying ones. Do you think we went the wrong way?"

"Hm. I'm not sure," Homura murmurs.

Lavender roves around for clues, one arm hugging the encumbering round bear tightly, both hands holding a gun each.

There are no indicators, and she shrugs.

"Let's just continue this way," Homura tells her. "I don't think we have enough time to turn back..."

"Okay."

They continue walking down the corridor, footsteps echoing in their ears as they move forward.

"This game is kind of fun, huh, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks, voice quiet as she keeps glancing behind, and then up, making sure there are no creatures trailing after them.

Homura pauses in her steps as she thinks of a response. "It's... interesting. Very realistic, especially the way it's set up to overload your senses. Not to mention the holographic weapons are amazing. It's a very sophisticated simulation, considering it's a game. I wouldn't be surprised if they used this technology in the military for combat training..."

Madoka hums; if Homura had that much to say about it, it meant she was enjoying it enough.

Just as Madoka glances back once more, she spots a yellow box on the ground they had missed earlier. "There's something over there, Homura-chan. I think they're bullets...?"

"Hm?" Homura follows her gaze. Madoka is right, they are bullets. But— "Those won't fit my gun. I can only use bullets in green boxes, remember?"

Madoka frowns. "Why do we keep finding things we can't use?"

"Most likely there's some algorithm used to randomize items," Homura answers absently. They're approaching a corner, and those are the best places for ambushes. "At some point," she murmurs, raising her gun, "we'll probably find additional weapons along the way."

There's something peeking out at the edge of the wall. Homura aims her gun, waiting until she can see a bit more of it before she pulls the trigger.

There's a small squeak, and when Homura walks over, the cotton ball fluff she had shot, is already fading away.

She rounds the corner and quickly scans the new area: it's still a corridor, but this time, there are roses sprouting out of the walls, and the floors look almost like an overgrown garden.

She glances to their guide, and finds the timer has reset, signaling that they are on the right path.

"I think we're going the right way, Madoka," Homura says, bringing up her gun as she spots more cotton ball fluffs with large moustaches hopping down the new hallway.

Madoka quickly joins Homura's side. A brief check on the situation, before she turns around to face the path they had come from. She finds more cotton fluffs, these ones armed with scissors, now blocking their exit.

The rapid bullets from Homura's gun, and the tortured squeaks following those, tells her that Homura is dealing with her enemies.

Not to be outdone, Madoka concentrates on her own fight.

Her bow is pointed towards the closest creature as an arrow is nocked back, and then quickly released. A small squeak, and she moves on to the next one, repeating the process as each cotton ball continues to fall.

When the last one is squeaks, Madoka lowers her bow. Just as she's about to breathe out a sigh of relief, she's pushed out of the way.

She turns in surprise as a giant fireball smokes past, dissipating harmlessly into gray wisps as it hits the wall. Homura is suddenly there beside her, dual guns raised to the sky. There's four sparks of light as four bullets are fired, followed by that telltale squeak. Madoka looks up, just in time to see another one of those winged creatures in the act of disappearing; if she had remained standing there, the fireball would have hit her straight on.

"Sneaky things," Homura mumbles, quickly looking away from the nauseating sky. She closes her eyes briefly, trying to regain her bearings. "Sorry about pushing you, Madoka," she murmurs, eyes finally opening when the room stops moving.

Madoka shakes her head. "No, that was my fault. I was supposed to keep an eye out."

She reaches over, and gives Homura a hug.

"Madoka...?"

Still holding on, Madoka grins. "Thank you, Homura-chan. You've saved me lots today."

Something about the way Madoka is looking at her, makes Homura blush. "U-Uhm. It was, just really good timing... about the fireball..."

"Not just that, silly. Earlier—"

"Homura! Madoka!" That same high pitched voice. "I sense the Witch! If you continue down this corridor, it will lead you straight to her!"

"Uhm. W-We should continue moving, Madoka," Homura tells her.

Madoka sighs. "We should..." She reluctantly pulls away.

Homura starts walking down the corridor, but Madoka hangs back as she checks herself over for the upcoming battle. She's not in perfect health, but not too bad, with enough magic left to cast a few more spells.

"...Madoka?"

Homura is waiting, and she moves to catch up.

Her eyes narrow when she looks Homura over. "...Are you cheating, Homura-chan?"

Homura glances to her. "What?"

"You have more HP than I do! And more magic!"

Homura blinks. "Well, the magic part... your arrows consume a bit each time you shoot, while my guns use regular bullets."

"...Cheating."

"You do more damage, and you don't need to reload," Homura tells her dryly. "As for the HP..." She gives Madoka a pointed expression. "Did you forget how you rushed into that room earlier to pick up that box...?"

Madoka opens her mouth, and suddenly gives her a sheepish smile. "Oh, yeah. I thought the room was empty..."

Homura merely readjusts the bear in her grip.

"Homura! Madoka! I sense the Witch! If you continue down this corridor, it will lead you straight to her!"

Homura throws the white creature a glare, before she turns back to Madoka. "Are you ready, Madoka?"

Madoka nods. "Mmhmm. Ready whenever you are, Homura-chan."

\\

Two down, one to go.

The adrenaline is now pumping through her veins.

That, had gone a lot better.

She cracks her shoulders to loosen up her joints.

She's slightly out of breath, and her hoodie definitely feels too warm.

But—

She eyes the scoreboard; there's a surge of pride when she sees that they're no longer in last place.

There's no way they're going to be in the top five, but if they do well on the last song, they can still somehow slide up at least two spots—that is, if her calculations are correct.

She crosses her fingers, hoping the last on the list is one she knows.

There's a wide smirk when the first three bars of the song plays.

All she hears is the music now, eyes already concentrating on the screen, anticipating the arrows as they appear once the beat picks up.

It's a fast pace song—and though it really has been a bit too long since she has played, there's no way she could forget this one.

She and her partner are mirroring each other's movements: a hop to the left, a quick slide to the right. A succession of left and down arrows hit perfectly as they march in place.

This time, she's toe to toe with the Crimson Devil.

She jumps to the right as her partner jumps to the left.

They're facing each other, eyes no longer looking at the screen.

A step forward, a step back. She counters the Crimson Devil's twisting freestyle with her own.

She sees an eyebrow quirk up, that grin again, and a challenge issued in those eyes.

Sayaka smirks and nods. She counts off the beats in her head: one, two—

She leaps diagonally, landing on the up arrow of the other dance pad, switching sides with the Crimson Devil who lands on hers.

More fast steps, a spin to the left, a spin to the right; the crowd roars when she suddenly throws out an aerial cartwheel, landing on the down arrow with perfect timing.

Another pause in the song where they switch back.

She pivots on her foot, the up arrow pressed before she hops back into the center.

She can't help but grin when she hears those high notes, signaling the song is reaching the end.

It's the grand finale—and her pride is definitely on the line.

Two moves left.

One: her right arm swings down, placed onto the right arrow as her legs are kicked up for a one-handed handstand. Two: her other hand is planted down firmly, and she lowers her body, rolling into a somersault. Just as the song ends, she bounces to her feet, landing on the left arrow as the word 'perfect' flashes on the screen.

It's a definite crowd-pleaser and this time, she knows that some of those cheers are for her.

There's a familiar weight around her shoulders, and she's turned so that she's facing their audience.

The Crimson Devil is beside her, grinning widely, and she can't help but grin back.

Her eyes flickers to the scoreboards—6th place.

Not bad.

/

Hand raised, Homura lifts the curtain, allowing Madoka to pass by her as they exit the booth.

Reentry into the game center is a bit jarring after experiencing all of that in real-time, and it takes them a moment to readjust.

Madoka clutches Homu-chan tightly, giving Homura nervous glances.

Her face gives nothing away, but Madoka knows she's upset.

"Uhm... I-It was a lucky shot, Homura-chan... Y-You were the one that did most of the damage towards the end..." Madoka says, trying to comfort her.

Homura shrugs as her eyes casts a look around. There's a bit more activity on the floor now, meaning that the main dance competition must be close to ending.

Where that left Sayaka though, is anyone's guess.

A hand is grasping the sleeve of her jacket, and Homura turns to see Madoka looking at her, worry etched across her face.

"Homura-chan, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take the last hit for the kill... I mean, it's not like—"

Homura sighs, interrupting her. She reaches out her own hand to awkwardly pat Madoka's. "It's fine, Madoka. I'm not upset about that."

Madoka doesn't believe her. She tightens her hold around Homura's jacket, unwilling to let go.

Her pouting face is enough for Homura to finally crack a small smile.

She sighs again. "Alright. Maybe I was a little upset." Madoka looks at her, and she glances away. "But, more at my own carelessness. I didn't pace my magic use properly and thought I'd have enough to dodge that building. I can't believe I got clipped by it..."

Homura's furrowed brow tells Madoka that she's most likely still thinking about it.

Her hand moves, and she links arms with Homura instead.

"We definitely wouldn't have won if it wasn't for you though." Madoka smiles when Homura finally turns to her. "But... are you sure you've never played before, Homura-chan?"

"Hm?"

"Don't give me that look! For someone who doesn't really play games, you did really, really well! You pretty much predicted where to go, and it was almost scary how fast you figured out how to solve the puzzles." Madoka narrows her eyes. "Is there something you're not telling me, Homura-chan?"

Homura raises an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Like, maybe you're hiding how much of a gamer you are," Madoka tells her. "And how, instead of going to your classes, you come to the game center to get your gaming fix. Maybe the mysterious initials for first place, 'T.M.' is really you. And—"

"Madoka." There's exasperation in Homura's voice, offset by the tinge of amusement.

Madoka looks over, smiling when she sees Homura looking more relaxed. "Really though, it's... surprising that you like shooting games. I can see you playing puzzle games more. Maybe something like 'Puyo puyo.'"

"'Puyo puyo?'"

Madoka laughs at Homura's expression. "It's... a matching game, kind of. But with these really cute blobs."

Homura merely nods.

"I'll show you later. Maybe we'll unlock that secret gamer inside you," Madoka teases.

Homura hums, stepping back and moving Madoka with her to let someone else enter the booth. "Well, regardless, you still managed to avenge me against this 'Walpurgisnacht.' And, judging by that fight, you saving me from her triumphs over anything I did. So, oh fearless hero, what would you like as your reward?"

Madoka blinks. "W-What?"

Homura tilts her head. "Isn't that how games usually work? The hero gets a reward for defeating the final boss?"

Madoka fights down her blush, eyes quickly looking away as various 'rewards' she wouldn't mind receiving from Homura flutter in her mind.

Homura eyes her curiously. "Well, you'll have to do with ice cream for now then," she says, tugging Madoka along as they start heading towards the exit.

Madoka stops suddenly, dragging her feet. When Homura turns back, she sees her shyly fidgeting with Homu-chan.

"Madoka?"

"...Are you really serious, Homura-chan? About the reward?"

"...Uhm. Sure."

Madoka glances up. "C-Can it be anything?" she asks quietly.

"Well," Homura briefly thinks about it. She shrugs. "Anything within reason, and please, nothing over 5000yen..."

Homura is already turning away, but Madoka tugs on her arm, prompting her to look back. "Uhm. I-Is there a time limit? Can I save it, for later...?"

"You, and your time limits... That's... fine," Homura tells her. "But, don't expect to bring this up a year later..."

Madoka grins. She starts leading the way, pulling Homura along. "Let's go get some ice cream, Homura-chan!"

"...Alright."

\

Her eyes are narrowed "...This is what you consider 'making it worth my while?'"

Mouth full, the Crimson Devil bobs her head up and down. Another cheese covered fry is picked up, quickly joining the others in her mouth.

More chewing, followed by a swallow, before she finally shoots Sayaka a grin. "Are you kidding me? This place has the best cheese fries in Tokyo!"

At Sayaka's unamused expression, the Crimson Devil sits back. She glances down to the fries, hands reaching, but spots a glob of cheese on her fingers. She absently licks it away, eyes staring off into the distance as she calculates something in her head.

She sighs. "Fine, you did save my butt after all. But, I won't be able to pay you until next week anyways. I'm a bit tapped out at the moment."

Sayaka blinks. "What?"

"5%—and only because you stepped it up towards the end with that flashy move. Nice, by the way."

She's back to the fries, but Sayaka still has no idea what she's talking about.

"What?" she repeats.

An eyebrow raised. "Nuh uh. No way am I raising it any higher."

Sayaka's no closer to understanding, and holds out a hand. "What," she bites out, "as in, '_what_ are you talking about?' And," she points to the basket of fries that are almost gone, "didn't you buy those for me? Because I ate like, one."

A menu screen is slid in front of her as an answer. "Order something then. I'll pay for that."

Sayaka watches as the rest of the fries disappear, and she can't help but eye her companion. "Where does that even go?"

With her black hooded jacket now draped over one of the empty chairs next to them, Sayaka can see that the Crimson Devil's figure is lean. And, judging by the bit of muscle she can see on her arms, her body is no doubt toned under that aqua coloured t-shirt of hers.

Her eyes continue down, and she quickly glances away when she finds her gaze lingering a bit too long at the tanned skin on her exposed legs; those black shorts are definitely a bit _too_ short.

Thankfully, it goes unnoticed as crimson eyes are concentrated on another menu. "Fast metabolism," she replies. A finger selects a few dishes, and finally she glances up. "Anyways, I was talking about the pot."

"Pot...?"

"Yeah, pot. You know, for winning the circuit."

Sayaka blinks. "Oh. I didn't know there were actually prizes for that."

Eyes narrow. "You... are either trying to pull something past me, or, you really don't know what I'm talking about."

Sayaka ignores her and turns to the menu; she's starting to get hungry after all that excitement. "So, what, you get a couple thousand yen? Credits to the game center? A trophy?"

There's a low whistle. "Wow. You really don't know anything about this, do you? Geez, have you been living under a rock for the past few years, or what?"

Something about her tone grates on Sayaka's nerves. "Yeah, well, some people actually have real lives, instead of hanging out at game centers all the time, dancing to win consolation prizes."

Her stomach grumbles. She decides on a meal with fries, a burger, and a milkshake. Once the order is sent to the kitchens, she sets the menu down.

She turns her attention back to the Crimson Devil, who's now grinning at her.

"Okay, well, the business part of me, really wants to not tell you. But, there's no way I'm going to let your earlier comment slide." She sits back, arms crossed. "You think I would do this for chump change? For a couple thousand yen? Some stupid trophy?" She leans forward. "Try a couple _million_."

Sayaka's glad she's not drinking anything—because she would definitely have done a large spit take at that revelation. "...What?"

A finger taps onto the table surface. "The grand prize for this circuit is 3 million yen. Still think I'm wasting my time, hanging out at game centers?"

/

The ice cream parlour is slightly crowded when they arrive, but that is mostly due to its size.

There's only 6 small tables inside, along with a long bar that faces the windows. All six stools for that are occupied, but they manage to snag a table as a few customers leave a few minutes later.

And, as Madoka sits, waiting for Homura to place their order, she's slowly becoming aware of how this small establishment is filled mostly with couples.

She hugs Homu-chan tighter, and glances over to where Homura is standing in line. She's staring straight ahead, face ever serious and looking like the mysterious beauty that always turns a few heads; Madoka knows this fact very well.

As if sensing her gaze, Homura turns, and tilts her head when she notices Madoka staring.

Madoka gives her a smile, and raises Homu-chan slightly, her one hand moving the small stub as if the bear was actually waving.

She sees Homura's lips twitch, but then she's turning away again as the customer in front finishes placing their order.

Madoka sighs softly, eyes glancing down to the round bear in her arms.

She's still staring, and more or less zoned out, when there's the sound of a chair scratching against the white tiled floor. She looks up as Homura settles into the seat across.

"There's only one employee working in the back, which is why it's taking so long." Homura tells her. "They said it will probably take around ten minutes for them to bring out our order."

Madoka shakes her head. "That's fine. It'll make it more delicious because we had to wait."

Homura pauses at her words. She nods slowly. "Sometimes I forget how optimistic you are about things,'" she says as her hand slips the receipt into her jacket pocket.

Madoka gives her a puzzled expression. "'Really? It doesn't feel like anything out of the ordinary though...?'"

"We could coin a word for these things..." Homura appears thoughtful. "How does 'Madokaisms' sound? Madoka, combined with your amazing optimism. They'll be a list of things that 'Kaname Madoka' lives by. Such as, how waiting for something, particularly food, will somehow make the experience even more enjoyable."

The dry tone of Homura's voice has Madoka sticking out her tongue.

Madoka pouts. "You make it seem like I'm some type of religion or something."

Homura smiles lightly. "Only some people can join. It's very specific, and there are some height limitations..."

Madoka suddenly holds out her hand in front of Homura. "Let me see Amy, Homura-chan."

"What?"

Madoka gestures, and wordlessly, the plush is pulled out and then placed onto her outstretched palm even as Homura continues giving her a confused look.

"Amy," Madoka says as she places Amy atop Homu-chan. "Homura-chan is being mean. Maybe it's better if you remain mine instead; you don't want that grumpy, meanie to be your owner, do you?"

Homura watches as Madoka moves Amy's head, as if the cat is shaking her head.

Madoka smiles. "Guess that settles it then."

Homura blinks. "...Settles what?"

"Amy would rather stay with me."

"...?"

"And," Madoka leans down, ear held towards the cat plush even as she keeps her eyes on Homura. "She also says, that I shouldn't count today as a step towards forgiveness for your lies about your heart transplant."

Homura gives her a nervous glance. "Wait. W-What?"

Madoka remains quiet, now playing with Homu-chan and Amy. She's deliberately letting Homura sweat it out a bit.

"...Madoka?"

She finally glances up, trying her best to hide her grin. "Yes, Homura-chan?"

"Uhm. Y-You're not really mad, are you? I-It was a joke—I apologize," Homura murmurs, voice low and very serious. She places her hands on the table, automatically linking her fingers together out of habit. "I'll stop bringing up your height—I promise. I know you're sensitive to it—and, I might have overstepped my bound—"

Madoka sighs, and merely reaches over and grabs Homura's hands. She gently pries Homura's fingers apart, depositing Amy back into her open palms once that's done. "I was kidding, Homura-chan."

Homura stares as she closes her fingers around the plush. "Uhm. Which part?"

Madoka gives her a smile. "Both. Amy is yours—I gave her to you, so you better take care of her. And... well, the game center was pretty fun. Minus those creeps at the beginning."

Homura hesitates, but when Madoka nods, she slips Amy back into her pocket. Her eyes glance away, before they finally land once more on Madoka.

"I apologize though, Madoka. About making fun of your height all the time. It's..." Homura frowns. "Sorry."

It reminds Madoka, of the Homura during the early stages of their tentative friendship: quick to apologize, and so adorably awkward.

Not that she still isn't awkward or adorable, but they've come a long way since then.

At least, Madoka hopes so.

She shakes her head. "No. I don't really mind, Homura-chan. I... like it when you joke around. You're usually so serious with everyone else..."

"...Even if it's at your expense?"

Here, Madoka smiles. "Well, okay. I admit, I do hate it when people like to point out that they're taller than me—which was horrible in middle school, by the way! But... I mean, I know you really don't mean anything by it. And..." she shyly looks down. "I like how you're more relaxed around me... it makes me feel like I know a different side to you than what everyone else knows." She looks back up.

Homura blinks as she tries to decipher Madoka's words and that accompanying expression on her face.

Before she can form a response, there's a light clatter on the table. They both turn to the waiter who bows at them.

"Your large, strawberry and vanilla sundae," he tells them. "Thank you for waiting! Please enjoy." A few napkins are slid besides the dessert, with two long spoons placed on top of those.

"Thank you," Madoka murmurs.

He nods, and heads back to his station.

Whatever atmosphere they had is now broken, and Homura nervously clears her throat. "Uhm. L-Looks pretty good. It's... more than I thought it would be though."

Madoka sighs softly. She shakes her head, a fond smile on her lips.

Her hands reach over for a spoon as Homura brings the sundae closer.

Just as Madoka's about to dig in, Homura stops her. "...Maybe it would be better if I held your bear for you, Madoka."

Madoka glances down to Homu-chan, and then over to the sundae that is covered with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

"...Alright," she agrees.

She passes Homu-chan over, and when Homura settles the round bear into her arms, the ice cream is forgotten as Madoka quickly digs through her pockets for her phone.

"Homura-chan! Say cheese!" Madoka tells her.

The picture clicks just as Homura gives her a startled expression; she had assumed Madoka would be taking a picture of her food, not of herself.

"Madoka?"

Madoka grins. "Bring Amy out too, Homura-chan."

"...Your ice cream is melting, Madoka."

"Hurry up then, Homura-chan. Bring Amy out so I can finish taking a picture, and then we can eat!"

Thoroughly confused, Homura does as told, placing Amy atop Homu-chan's head like what Madoka had done earlier.

Madoka pouts as Homura's usual blank face stares at her from her screen. "Smile, Homura-chan."

"...I am, Madoka," Homura replies, even as her face remains passive. "You can't see it, but on the inside, I'm smiling."

Madoka sighs at her sarcasm, and merely clicks the shutter button. A picture with Homura holding Homu-chan with Amy is good enough. She shouldn't be too greedy.

And she's definitely not going to waste her reward on something like this.

"...Can I put Amy away now, Madoka?" Homura asks.

Madoka nods, eyes shining as she smiles to the picture in her phone. "Yup, all done."

Amy is once again safely tucked away.

Homura glances over. "Madoka, since your phone is out, you should message Miki Sayaka; I highly doubt it, but perhaps she's done already. Hopefully..."

"Sure." Madoka types out a quick message, slipping the phone into her pocket once its sent. "Alright. Now, it's time for ice cream! You're eating too, right, Homura-chan?"

Homura shakes her head. "No, I bought that for you."

Madoka takes the first bite, shivering slightly as the cold from the dessert seeps into her mouth.

"Mm, this is really good though," she mumbles. With her other hand, she reaches to the side. The second spoon is brought closer and slid in front of Homura. "Trrylslhome," she tells her, spoon hanging from her mouth, slurring her words together.

At Madoka's insistence, Homura eventually caves in. She finds a small bit of vanilla ice cream that's not drowning in chocolate, and carefully brings the spoon to her mouth.

"Take more, Homura-chan," Madoka says as she scoops a large spoonful for herself. "This is too much for me—" noticing Homura's skeptical gaze, "yes, even for me. Plus, dinner is soon. So please, help me finish this, Homura-chan."

She sees Homura look across to the cashier area, to where there's a digital clock hanging on the wall.

Dinner, maybe in an hour, depending solely on their wayward 'dancer.'

Homura nods. "Alright..."

Madoka smiles at her victory, and brings the large spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She shivers again, eyes closing from the sudden coldness.

"You should really take smaller bites, Madoka... Though, it is still amusing to watch."

/

"Okay, okay! I get it. It's super important, and you guys got like sponsors and everything! What I still don't get, is why would your partner bail on you if the prize money is _that_ _much_?" Sayaka asks, before she finally takes a bite of her burger.

Her companion shrugs. "Well, bailed, might've been a very simple way of putting it." There's a second basket of cheese fries, and those are disappearing just as fast.

Mid-chew, Sayaka lifts an eyebrow.

The Crimson Devil rolls her eyes. "Well... let's just say, the idiot twisted his ankle."

Sayaka gives her a sympathetic look as she swallows her food. "Ouch. That's pretty bad timing..."

"Yep. You're telling me. Well, at least it worked out for you. If you continue to do what you did during the last song for next week's competition, we can definitely place. First might be impossible, but third would be better than nothing..."

Sayaka lowers her burger onto the plate. "Uh... next week?"

The Crimson Devil eyes her. "Yeah. For Finals. It's what comes after semi-finals. What, you gonna bail on me, too?"

Just as Sayaka's about to comment, there's a chime from her phone. "Give me a second..."

It's a message from Madoka.

She feels guilty for eating without them—but when she sees the attached picture with Homura sitting in front of a large sundae, that feeling vanishes.

She still wants ice cream, and this watered down milkshake isn't cutting it.

A message sent explaining her situation, and then her phone is pocketed.

When she turns back, the Crimson Devil is still staring.

Sayaka gives her a sheepish smile. "Uh, funny thing you know, I... don't exactly live here."

A raised eyebrow. "Yeah? Where you from?"

"Mitakihara."

Both eyebrows raise in surprise. "Seriously? I'm from Kazamino, and I know someone from Mitakihara. What are you doing all the way here if you didn't even know about this dance circuit?"

Sayaka rolls her eyes. "There are things other than dance competitions, you know. But, I'm just visiting a friend."

"Yeah? ...You think she'd be interested in competing?"

Sayaka smirks. "Madoka? Yeah... good luck with that..."

"Man, just my luck. I find a replacement who doesn't even live here..."

Sayaka watches as she starts eating her burger, looking a lot less happy about it even though the food is disappearing just as fast.

She suddenly feels bad, for letting this person down. "Uh... you know. Maybe... I could make it for next week."

And just like that, that grin falls back into place. "Really? You're not pulling my leg, are you? Because if you are, you better tell me now, so I can find someone else to take your place."

Sayaka tries to remember her schedule. There isn't anything important, other than her math test.

"Yeah," she tells her. "I can definitely make it next week."

"Awesome." A fist is held out. "Put 'er there, partner."

Sayaka grins, and bumps her fist. "Yeah. I was thinking, you know, since you're the 'Crimson Devil,' I should make up a nickname too. Something like, I don't know, what do you think about 'Azure Knight?'"

\\

"... I think I ate too much," Madoka says as she hugs Homu-chan tightly.

Hand lightly on Madoka's waist, Homura guides her out of the flow of foot traffic, and over to the wall. "I told you not to try and finish it."

"Mmmm... but it was so good..." Madoka murmurs, closing her eyes as she leans against Homura's shoulder.

"And you must be feeling really 'good' right now," Homura tells her dryly.

Eyes still closed, Madoka pouts, pressing herself closer against Homura. "It's because you didn't help me eat it, Homura-chan."

"I ate more than my fair share."

"You ate like four spoonfuls..."

"Which is more than what I usually eat."

Madoka remains quiet because they both know that's true. Their conversation lapses into comfortable silence, and when her eyes finally open, she's greeted with the sight of Homura's profile, eyes staring off into the distance at something in front of them. Curiosity peaked, Madoka turns to the direction of Homura's gaze. They're on the fifth floor of the building, but it's high enough for them to see some of the city skyline through the glass windows. The city lights twinkle, lit up now that the sun has set.

"They kind of remind me of stars," Madoka comments softly.

Homura glances over to her. "Well, it's the closest thing to stars we can get here; the light pollution and smog drowns out the real ones."

Madoka nods. "Yeah, but if we just travel an hour away, we'll be able to see them..."

Homura hums in agreement.

They continue watching the skyline for a moment, ignoring the people that walk past.

Madoka tilts her face up, glancing to the dark skies. "...Homura-chan?"

"Hm?"

"This summer... do you... want to take a trip somewhere?"

Homura turns to her. "You're not going home?"

"Maybe only for a week, or two. I might take some extra classes. You're going to be working, right?"

Homura nods. "Yes."

"I-It could be an overnight trip. Something not too expensive, or too far away... Maybe to a hot spring or something..."

Homura gives her a small smile. "Maybe to some place where we can see the stars?"

Madoka shyly looks away. "U-Uhm, but, I know you'll be busy, and—"

"I don't mind, Madoka."

Madoka can't fight down her smile. "R-Really?" she asks, turning to Homura for confirmation.

Homura nods. "I have a bit extra saved up. We'll figure out our schedules, and work out places to go later."

Madoka grins, hugging her and Homu-chan close.

Noticing her sudden rise in mood, Homura looks at her. "Are you feeling better now, Madoka?"

"Yes!" she gushes. The thought of going on a trip with Homura is enough for her to ignore her protesting stomach. "A lot better."

"We should get going and meet up with Miki Sayaka then. Who knows what kinds of trouble she's getting herself into, especially with this 'Crimson Devil' character."

Madoka gives her a grin. "Are you worried about Sayaka-chan, Homura-chan?"

"Not in particular," Homura replies. "But, if something happens to her, we'll be the ones dealing with the aftermath..."

Madoka frowns. "You don't think she met some weirdo, do you?"

"The name does strike me as a bit odd..." Homura murmurs. "It could either be someone religious, or someone who's into satanic worshiping... Why 'Crimson Devil?' in particular? Doesn't this person have a real name...?"

Suddenly worried, Madoka tugs Homura forward, hurrying her along as they walk towards the stairs to meet with Sayak**a.**

* * *

**AN:** Just a bit busy at the moment, so there won't be a cat's cradle update, or anything else, really, until the end of next week...? Hopefully. Just in case anyone's wondering (but who isssssss?)

This chapter was so difficult to write, goodness.

Thank you again, for reading/reviewing! Kyouko seems to be a favourite in this fandom...?!

I... should make one of those blog things so people can ask questions, and I can actually answer them... Nah. I'm too lazy for that :)


	6. Chapter 6

**"...A**re you sure this is the right place, Madoka?"

The first time Homura had asked, it had been cute.

The second time, a little bit less.

The third...

Madoka shifts Homu-chan to her other arm and proceeds to dig out her phone from her pockets. A few seconds later, she holds it up and shows Homura the text from Sayaka.

"Mmhmm. Says so right here, Homura-chan."

She watches as lavender flickers over to the sign, then back to her phone.

Homura finally sighs in defeat. "Alright, I agree, the name is the same."

Madoka nods. She locks the screen before she tucks her phone away. "Let's go inside."

She pulls Homura with her, adding a bit more strength when she feels her dragging her feet.

"Homura-chan."

Homura's eyes narrow as she peers through the glass. "...Why would anyone eat at a bowling alley?"

The automatic doors slide open as Madoka brings them closer, and the sound of crackling thunder immediately echoes in their ears.

"Sometimes they have a pretty good snack bar," Madoka murmurs, quickly scanning the establishment as they enter.

Fluorescent lights are overhead, bright enough that it makes their eyes squint momentarily as they adjust. A row of short circular racks are to their right, filled with sets of different coloured bowling balls. There's empty space past that, opening up to a seating area, where each lane has their own table with surrounding chairs placed right before the actual bowling section. Signs to their left point to the entrance of the bathrooms through a hallway, and further down, there's a small line of waiting customers by the register.

"I don't think they're actually bowling though," Madoka comments, moving Homura aside when she notices other people trickling in.

She looks around, eyes searching for that familiar shade of blue. At least half the lanes are occupied, but she doesn't spot Sayaka anywhere.

"I don't see her, do you, Homura-chan?" Madoka turns to find Homura staring distractedly at something.

She's watching as a bowler takes his turn, cradling a black bowling ball in his gloved hand. A brief moment as he looks to the center, and then three steps as his arm swings back, followed by a quick release with a flick of his hand as he brings his arm forward.

The ball starts right at the edge of the lane, reaching halfway when it suddenly curves left and careens down the middle.

"Ahh... that was close." Madoka winces in sympathy at the one pin still standing.

Homura jumps. "Y-Yes, it was..."

Madoka eyes her curiously. "Do you like bowling, Homura-chan?" Judging by her earlier reaction, she's thinking no.

Homura shrugs. "I don't know. I have never really tried."

"Eh?"

Homura merely starts moving to continue their search, but she finds it difficult with Madoka's feet suddenly planted firmly into the carpeted floors.

"Madoka?"

"You've... never bowled before, Homura-chan?"

She watches as Homura reaches behind to fidget with her hair; another nervous habit of hers.

"I was busy," Homura finally answers. "And after that..." she glances away, "...it didn't seem like something fun to do by myself."

Madoka holds her arm tighter, squishing the bear in her other arm in the process. "...Guess you're finally getting your chance, Homura-chan."

Homura blinks. "Madoka?"

A smile as her reply, and suddenly she's following after Madoka as she's pulled over to the registers.

/

She steps through the parting double doors, one bright sneaker lifted, quickly followed by another as the tiled ground transitions into padded flooring. The quiet restaurant is suddenly transformed into loud laughter, the slight murmur of a crowd, and to continuous rattling sounds of synthetic plastic colliding with wood.

She continues on in, eyes searching, and finally, she realizes the numbers printed on the walls are in ascending order. She walks down the length of the floor, lips moving as she counts off.

25...26...27.

She stops when she sees the one marked 28.

A small smirk as she spots her best friend and her crush standing in front of their lane. Judging by the gestures and animated movements, it appears as if Madoka is teaching Homura how to bowl.

A loud yawn heard behind her, and Sayaka turns to see the Crimson Devil with her arms raised above her as she stretches. There's a peek of skin as her shirt lifts with her movements, and Sayaka quickly glances away.

For some reason, her eyes seem to wander too much, especially when it involves _her_.

"You find your friend?"

Sayaka quickly composes herself with a light cough. "Yeah." She points right in front. "See that idiot couple right there?"

Crimson looks, and they both watch as the shorter of the two continues to flounder about with her explanations.

"Uh huh. Well, let's go join them." Without waiting for her to reply, she walks over, and Sayaka can only follow.

They both drop into the accommodated chairs for their lane, Sayaka taking the one next to a round ball of fluff with a plush cat draped over its head. Its sitting on top of a handkerchief, most likely Homura's, judging by the colour. On closer inspection, she realizes it's a bear, and recognizes it as one of the characters that Madoka used to love back in middle school.

A fond smile as it stirs up brief memories, before Sayaks turns her attention back towards the lanes; it seems the lesson is over and Homura's finally going to take her turn.

Madoka steps back, remaining out of danger, yet close enough for support.

Sayaka eyes are suddenly mischievous as her lips tug into a smirk. Homura is far from flawless, and she doesn't mind adding another item to her list of things that she can tease her with.

Homura's posture is stiff, and even though they're staring at her back, there's no doubt that she's concentrating in front.

A full minute passes, and at least three other bowlers in the adjacent lanes have already gone. Just as Sayaka finally sees Homura's leg moving, a voice shouts out.

"Just throw the damn ball already!"

Homura promptly stumbles, barely managing to keep from dropping the ball. She turns around as Madoka does the same.

They face the Crimson Devil as she stands. "It's like watching paint dry!"

Madoka opens her mouth to respond, but she spots the sitting Sayaka. "Sayaka-chan!"

Sayaka waves, and rises to her feet. She pauses, and turns. "Uh, hey, what's your real name?"

A fanged smirk. "You're asking that now?"

"It kind of slipped my mind..."

Madoka and Homura have moved closer to greet them, one with a nervous smile, the other with eyes ever wary as she grips the bowling ball tightly.

A slightly tanned hand is suddenly held out in front of Madoka. "Yo. Sakura Kyouko, at your service. You can call me Kyouko, or 'Crimson Devil.'"

Despite the roughness Kyouko seems to exude, Madoka's smile warps into a friendly one. "Kaname Madoka. You can call me Madoka."

If Madoka's surprised by the less than traditional greeting, her face doesn't show it. They exchange a firm handshake, and then Kyouko turns her attention to Homura.

"Yo."

It's only because Madoka gently elbows her that Homura reluctantly accepts the outstretched hand. "...Akemi Homura. 'Crimson Devil' is an interesting moniker," she says as she moves her hand away.

Kyouko grins. "Yeah. Thanks."

"I was a bit worried," Homura tells her as her eyes flicker over to Sayaka, "that Miki Sayaka had met someone strange, but you seem normal enough. At least," she briefly glances down, "there's no visible markings of Satanic worship on your body."

Sayaka frowns. "Hey."

Madoka quickly tries to step in. "Homura-chan."

Kyouko smirks, and holds out her arms; her jacket is tied to her waist and her skin is exposed. "Not where you can see, at least. But there's no guarantee there's nothing under here." She suddenly leans forward, eyebrow quirked. "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours."

Homura doesn't back down, lavender staring into crimson long enough that Madoka feels jealousy trickling in.

Just as Sayaka is about to interrupt, Kyouko suddenly straightens up. "You've got a pretty good poker face."

Homura nods slowly. "It goes great with my gambling addiction..."

Before either of them can react, Kyouko is grinning as she throws her arm around Homura's shoulder. "You, are probably a riot at parties."

Homura tries to shrug her off, but finds that near impossible, especially with one hand still gripping the bowling ball. Whatever she mumbles under her breath has Kyouko laughing.

Finally, she relinquishes her hold, and Homura stumbles away.

Despite the rocky start, Sayaka feels a grin on her lips in response to Homura's wary expression.

Perhaps, this new friendship with Kyouko will be better than planned.

/

"Homura-chan?"

Madoka's voice pulls her from her thoughts. She glances over to the screen.

They're playing in teams, her and Madoka, versus Sayaka and Kyouko.

'Team Pink' versus 'Team Red.'

She sighs.

Madoka takes her reaction as a response to the score. "We can still catch up, Homura-chan! You're doing really well for your first time!"

Homura stands, taking a moment to readjust her shirt and jacket. "I'm doing horribly, but thank you, Madoka."

Out of the two, she's the obvious weakest link on their team, but it's not because she doesn't understand what she should be doing.

She's stubborn though, stuck on trying to curve the ball like the other bowlers in the adjacent lanes.

She approaches the ball return, eyes easily picking out the brightly coloured one that she's using. It's light in her hands as she walks over, shoes sliding slightly on the polished surface of the lane.

A deep breath for focus as the ball is held out in front. She ignores the sounds around her, and waits until the bowler in the next lane takes his turn.

After a brief confirmation that everything is clear, she finally moves, feet stepping forward as her arm swings back. She stops before the foul line, arm now extended in front for the release. Her wrist is deliberately turned as the ball leaves her grip.

She straightens up, staring as it rolls down the lane and starts hooking slightly to the left.

And like always, it keeps to the side instead of curving more to the middle. A sigh of disappointment as those same three pins that she seems to favour, fall.

3 in this frame.

3 in the last.

She frowns, watching as the metal bar sweeps the fallen pins away. She ignores a loud comment from a certain redhead, rolling her eyes at her brashness.

She waits a few more seconds, before she turns around to retrieve the returned ball. She can't help but glance over to the seating area, where Madoka immediately catches her eye and gives her an encouraging smile. Homura pauses in her steps as she briefly thinks how that round bear sitting next to Madoka resembles a bowling ball.

The ear bumps and those stumps of appendages would definitely get in the way though.

Knowing Madoka is still watching, she gives her a small smile—anything less would have her worrying she's not having 'fun,' before that brightly coloured ball is in her hands once more.

A different strategy this time: she decides she'll stand more to the left, rather than throw it from the center.

The curve brings the ball right down the middle, and all but one pin is knocked down—her best hit yet.

Madoka is cheering, loudly enough that Homura fights down her blush as she returns to take a seat.

Madoka only makes it worse as she hops out of her chair to intercept her with a hug. "You did it, Homura-chan! One more and you would've gotten a spare! See, I knew you could do it!"

She nods, cheeks lightly dusted with pink as she forces a real smile down.

Kyouko walks past and claps a hand heavily onto her shoulder. "Nice. Maybe we'll be able to get a real competition going now." She suddenly stops, and faces them. "Hey, how 'bout, we make this a little bit more fun?"

Madoka finally pulls away from Homura to blink at Kyouko. "More fun?"

A grin in response. "Yeah. Like, you know, make things more exciting. We're in teams already, aren't we? So... why don't we place a little bet?"

Sayaka joins their little circle when Kyouko waves her over. "What's up?"

Madoka looks at her. "Uhm, Kyouko-chan wants to place a bet...?"

Kyouko nods. "Just something simple. Like, loser pays for dinner, or something."

Sayaka pats her full stomach. "...We just ate."

"Fast metabolism, remember?" Kyouko turns to Homura and Madoka. "What do you say? There's three frames left for this game. We can start with the next one."

"Uhm..." Madoka glances over to Homura. "W-Well, but... I mean, it's Homura-chan's first time bowling...?"

Kyouko raises an eyebrow. "Guess it's your call then, Sunshine." She gestures to the screen. "If you keep doing what you did right now, you could potentially win."

Homura bites back a sigh at her nickname and looks to their scores. Despite her bravado, Kyouko is currently third, but she's merely a few points behind Madoka. Sayaka is currently in the lead, and she's not surprised to find herself dead last.

"Come on," Kyouko insists, "don't tell me you're chickening out in front of your girlfriend?"

Homura blinks. "...Girlfriend?"

Kyouko nods to Madoka who suddenly jumps.

"E-Eh?!"

Sayaka bites her lip, trying to keep her laughter down.

Madoka quickly shakes her head, cheeks now stained the same colour as her hair. "W-We're not g-girlfriends!" she denies, waving her hands in front of her. "N-Not that there's anything wrong with that," she says, looking over to Homura. "I-I mean, i-it's perfectly normal, and it's not like—it's not like I'd be offended if you were my g-girlfriend, Homura-chan! I mean, it's—"

Homura places a hand on her arm. "It's fine, Madoka. I know you didn't mean anything by that. Calm down."

Madoka can feel her head spinning from the rush of blood. She bows her head. "U-Uh huh..."

Sayaka steps in, hand cupped in front of her mouth as she leans towards Kyouko's ear. She whispers something before she pulls away.

Kyouko merely smirks at her words. "I see... alright. Okay, so, don't tell me, you're chickening out in front of your girlfriend?"

To Madoka's embarrassment and quickened heartbeat, Homura doesn't bother denying it.

"As far as I can see, there's no real reason to make this more 'exciting,'" Homura replies, not at all rising to the bait.

Kyouko sighs. "I get it, you just want to bowl for fun. It's your first time, so you know you're not gonna win."

Homura shrugs.

Kyouko turns to Madoka instead. "You sure you wanna stay with that stick in the mud? I'll definitely keep you on your toes," a devious smirk, "if you know what I mean."

There's suddenly an arm held out in front of her, and she finds Homura glaring. "It's your turn. You're holding up the line."

Kyouko throws up her hands. "Alright, alright. No need to get jealous."

She's grinning as she finally makes her way over to the ball return.

Hoping to diffuse the situation, Madoka grabs Homura by the arm and pulls her to the seats.

"Kyouko-chan's... Uhm, interesting, right, Homura-chan?" Madoka says as they sit down.

Homura leans back against the chair, her eyes narrowed as she watches Kyouko take her turn. "Interesting, is putting it lightly, Madoka."

Sayaka settles in besides them. "Just admit you're scared of losing, Homura."

Homura shakes her head. "I'm not afraid of losing. But what would be the point of taking a bet I wouldn't be able to win? At this moment, 'Team Red' is currently in the lead, and I can't say for certain I'll be consistent with my throws for the next game." She glances to Sayaka. "You should be careful of her, Miki Sayaka. Perhaps, 'Crimson Devil' is more than just a made up nickname."

Sayaka frowns, but before she can ask her what she means, Kyouko finishes the frame with a spare and a grin.

\\

"Are you feeling better now, Homura-chan?"

Even with her eyes closed, she knows that Madoka is hovering nearby. Her eyes open, and sure enough, Madoka is there, peering at her with worry etched across her face.

"...Yes." She takes another sip of water, using it to swallow down the lingering dizziness that had suddenly appeared out of thin air. "I'm okay now, Madoka. Thank you. Uhm, I apologize... for making you worry..."

Lack of sleep is definitely affecting her health, and she fully blames Sayaka and her rather impromptu her visit.

A hand against her cheek, and her eyes focus on warm pink. "What are you apologizing for? If anything, it should be me. You should've said something if you weren't feeling well."

"I'm fine," Homura murmurs even as her eyes close again.

Suddenly, the pressure against her cheek is gone. The empty cup is plucked from her fingers, and she hears the soft hollow sound as it's discarded into the nearby trashcan.

A moment later, she feels something brush back her bangs with a gentle touch.

"I don't think you have a fever, which is good. We should call it a night, though. If you're up to moving, I'll call the taxi and have it drop us off at home."

"I'm alright." Homura's eyes open once more, this time to Madoka frowning. "The water and the fresh air helped. Not to mention, we already started on the next game... they're not going to issue a refund."

Madoka knows about Homura's stubbornness firsthand, and merely takes a seat next to her.

They're outside, taking a breather on the large balcony located right by the bowling alley. Simple round tables with matching chairs are scattered around, and it's close enough to dinner time that it hadn't been hard for them to claim one.

The afternoon heat has yet to fully dissipate, though it's a bit cooler than when they had first set out a few hours ago. Madoka leans over, resting her shoulder against Homura's. The light from the nearby lamp post blends their shadows together, casting a darkened silhouette against the cement floor.

Madoka reaches down and links her fingers with Homura's.

"I don't care about wasting money, Homura-chan. If you're feeling sick, tell me you're feeling sick. Stop being stubborn. You're more important than some silly game."

Homura sighs. The feel of Madoka's hand resting in hers though, is comforting. Her fingers curl in. "...I am feeling a bit tired."

Madoka smiles in triumph. "See, that wasn't that hard to admit, was it?"

Homura shakes her head. "But, I'm still feeling well enough to bowl."

Madoka exhales a puff of breath in exasperation. "Fine. We'll finish the game, and see how you feel afterwards."

Homura nods. "Thank you."

"...We should head back inside," Madoka murmurs softly, even as she makes no effort to move.

"Mmhmm..."

They remain sitting in silence, content with each other's presence.

Just as Madoka is about to force herself to stand, Homura turns to her.

"Madoka?"

"Hm?"

"...What do you think of the Crimson Devil?"

Madoka blinks. "Kyouko-chan? Uhm." She looks across, to the city lights glowing in the distance. "She's nice, I think. And Sayaka-chan seems to like her, at least."

"She does. But," Homura moves her head to follow her gaze, "I take Miki Sayaka's judge of character with a grain of salt..."

"Homura-chan." Disapproval in Madoka's voice, before it tempers into curiosity. "Why do you ask? Do you not like Kyouko-chan?"

"... She is interesting. 'Crimson Devil...'"

"You seem to like her nickname though?" Madoka teases. "Do you want your own? You could be... uhm... 'Purple...'" she frowns. "Uhm... what's something that's purple?"

"...I'm sure there are better things, but for some reason I can only think of eggplant."

Madoka grins. "'Purple Eggplant!'"

"...Madoka." Homura turns to face her again. "I apologize. I'll be busy this summer, so we won't be able to go on our trip."

The smile immediately drops from Madoka's face. "What?"

"Since you figured out my identity, I should tell you the truth. I need to prepare for Obon." Homura closes her eyes, unable to keep a straight face if she looks at her. "It's an important time during the summer, what with all those dead ancestors coming back to visit. I'm in charge of their return ride and—"

Madoka finally realizes that Homura is struggling to hold back her smile. She responds by smacking her on the arm.

"...Ow." Homura's eyes open as her lips twitch in amusement.

Madoka huffs. "You're probably going to be busy during New Year's too, right? Showing up in everyone's dreams for good luck?"

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to visit yours too."

A thought passes through Madoka's mind, and she quickly glances away before Homura can see her blush.

"You would be 'Pink something,'" Homura says as she lifts her hand, finger suddenly poking one of the small pigtails in Madoka's hair. "Though, these little things here, have always reminded me of rabbit ears. So... 'Pink Bunny.'"

Madoka finally turns back with her tongue sticking out. "It's still better than 'Purple Eggplant!'"

Homura nods. "I agree. We should head back in though."

Madoka sighs. "Alright. You must be feeling better if you're able to tease me."

She moves over, her own arm looping around Homura's waist to help her up.

"I'm fine now, Madoka," Homura tells her as she feels Madoka press in close.

"Just in case."

Homura doesn't bother saying anything, merely accepting her words and letting her do what she wants.

/

When they return to the bowling alley, they find Sayaka standing awkwardly to the side. Kyouko is there, by the seats, looking less than amused as another female around their age seems to be staring her down.

Homura is still leaning against Madoka when they approach.

"Sayaka-chan?"

Madoka's voice has her turning around.

"Hey, took you two long enough." Sayaka glances to Homura. "Everything alright there?"

"Yes, I am fine."

"Cool. Good to know." Her attention turns back to the now frowning redhead.

Curiosity peaked, Madoka looks over. "Uhm, who is that, Sayaka-chan?"

"No idea," Sayaka murmurs, still distracted. "She kind of just came out of nowhere and started yelling at Kyouko."

"They obviously know each other," Homura comments lightly as she evaluates the stranger's appearance.

Her black heels sets her at the same height as Kyouko, though her style of dress is very different: a gray cardigan worn over a light blue blouse, paired with a semi-long, dark blue summer skirt.

Her long blonde hair tied into a side ponytail contrasts sharply against that messy red hair; they look as different as night and day.

"Maybe she's her girlfriend," Homura decides after a moment.

It's a reference to Kyouko's earlier words, but when Homura sees Sayaka stiffen rather visibly, she tilts her head.

Just as she's about to test her theory, Kyouko suddenly throws up her arms in frustration.

They watch as she says a few choice words, face scowling, before that expression wipes clean as she spots the three of them staring from afar. Her hand latches onto the blonde's arm, and then they're both walking over to join them.

"Hey. You two finally back? Should've just said something if you wanted some alone time." Kyouko waggles her eyebrows and gives them a knowing smirk.

Homura ignores her, while Madoka fights down her blush.

"Kyouko! Can you please unhand me?" They all turn to the blonde who straightens when she realizes there's an audience.

Kyouko lets her go with a sigh. "This is... my friend."

A slight frown mars the blonde's face at her introduction. It turns into a polite smile though, as she bows lightly. "Tomoe Mami. Pleased to meet you."

Madoka is the first to recover and she pulls away from Homura to return the bow. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kaname Madoka. You can call me Madoka."

They exchange friendly smiles.

Madoka glances to Homura who makes no effort to introduce herself. She nudges her with her elbow.

"...Akemi Homura."

Sayaka rolls her eyes. She steps forward with a wink. "Miki Sayaka! Sayaka is fine. Don't mind Homura over here; she's only nice to girls with pink hair."

Madoka throws Sayaka a glare who pretends not to notice.

"Alright, now get out of here already." Kyouko makes a shooing gesture with her hand. "We're kind of in the middle of something."

Mami pats down her skirt, hands brushing invisible specks of dust away. She ignores Kyouko and turns to the other three. "I know, this may seem rude and like a strange question, but, Kyouko didn't somehow blackmail you girls or anything, did she...?"

"Mami!" Kyouko growls and reaches for her shoulder.

"Did she take anything from you? Your phones? Purses? Wallets?" Mami continues as she stands firm against Kyouko's grabby hands.

Madoka blinks. She exchanges nervous glances with Sayaka and Homura. "Uhm, w-we're just bowling, Tomoe-san."

Mami smiles. "Please, you can call me Mami." Not even bothering to look behind her, she skillfully slaps Kyouko's hands away.

"Ow!"

The smile remains on Mami's face. "Well, that's good then, that you are just enjoying her company." Her golden eyes narrow slightly as she looks over to Kyouko. "And hopefully, it will remain that way."

Kyouko grumbles under her breath. She suddenly jabs a finger at Mami. "You know, if only you had just agreed to be my partner, but noooo, you complain about how—"

Mami is still smiling as she turns to Kyouko. "Hm? Did you say something, Kyouko?"

Something that Kyouko only sees has her quickly shaking her head.

Mami gives her a pointed nod. "Well, now that I know you're not in trouble_,_ I'll leave you be. I trust you won't try anything on these girls?"

"Yes, _mom_."

Mami shakes her head with a sigh. "Since you obviously won't be joining me for dinner, I need to go find something to eat." She bows to the other three who have remained quiet during their exchange. "I'm really sorry for bothering you. Please ignore what I asked you earlier, it was just a little joke. It was nice meeting you."

She bows once more, before she starts walking away.

As she passes by, Madoka suddenly calls out to her. "Uhm, Tomoe-san?"

Mami stops in her tracks and turns around. "Yes?"

Madoka bites her lip. She looks to Homura.

She shrugs. "I don't really care."

Madoka brightens, and gives Homura a half hug.

Mami is still waiting, and she turns back to her. "Uhm, that is... would you like to join us? T-That is, if you're not busy, I mean...? There's a snack bar you can order from if you're hungry. And," she glances over to Homura again, who nods, "we'll be getting dinner after this... so...?"

Mami can only stare at her in surprise.

Madoka smiles in encouragement. "It's uhm, like they say, the more the merrier!"

No one can deny how Mami's eyes seem to light up as she turns to face Kyouko.

Kyouko sighs. "Whatever. It's their call. I kind of just crashed their little party myself."

Mami places a hand to her chin. "I mean... I wouldn't want to impose..."

Sayaka ignores how her stomach seems to be churning with jealousy. "Really, it's okay!" she chimes in. "None of us mind."

Mami lowers her hand. "Well, that is..."

Madoka nods and gives her another friendly smile.

It's enough to crumble the last of Mami's resolve and she responds with an even brighter smile.

"I mean, if no one minds... Thank you."

\

"It's fine, she can take my place."

Madoka looks to Homura, suddenly worried. "You're not feeling dizzy again, are you, Homura-chan?"

She shakes her head. "I'm fine."

"But it wouldn't be right of me to take your spot, Akemi-san," Mami insists. "I'm perfectly fine with watching."

"Yeah." Kyouko gestures impatiently. "Now that that's settled, can I go now?" She lifts the bowling ball in her hands, deliberately holding it so they can see.

"Wait!" Madoka calls out. "Uhm, why don't you take my spot instead, Mami-san?" At Homura's gaze, she explains. "I mean, the whole reason we're bowling is because you have never been bowling before, Homura-chan!"

"I already played one game, Madoka."

Madoka frowns. "One game isn't enough to experience it!"

"I'm pretty sure I already understand that I'm bad at it," Homura responds dryly.

"Homu—"

"Okay, okay!" Sayaka holds out her hands, but she steps back when four sets of eyes turn to her. "Uh... why don't we just add Mami-san to the game? Like, not play teams, but just do individual scoring?"

"That's what I said!" Kyouko shouts in annoyance. "But then Mami keeps trying to not step on anyone's toes, while dark and broody over here keeps trying to bail out!"

Homura points to herself for confirmation of the new nickname, but Kyouko doesn't see as she whirls around to face the bowling pins.

"Whatever! You guys better decide by the time I finish my frame!" True to her word, she strides down the lane with the bowling ball in hand.

The remaining four glance around.

"...We'll just lose the teams then," Homura tells them with a sigh.

Madoka nods and stands before Mami can reply. "That's fine. I'll be right back!" She hurriedly makes a bee-line for the register.

Mami suddenly hops to her feet. "Wait, Kaname-san! I will pay for myself!" Even with her heels, she's quickly catching up to Madoka as they head to the counter.

Sayaka drops down into the chair Madoka had abandoned, half squishing Homu-chan in process and knocking Amy over.

Just as she's about to move them aside, Homura slaps her hand away.

"Ow! Hey! What's the big idea?"

Homura points to the bowling balls. "Your hands are dirty. If you want to touch them, go wash your hands first."

Sayaka scowls. "As if the arcade itself was very clean. As if the chairs are clean!"

Homura merely nods. "Which is why they're sitting on my handkerchief. They'll need to be surface wiped later, but no point in dirtying them even more."

She uses the inside portion of her jacket to carefully move the round bear next to her, before she fixes Amy back into place on its head.

Sayaka decides to leave it alone instead of arguing. She turns, just in time to see Kyouko throw a gutter ball as she ends her turn.

When Kyouko walks back, she takes one look at the smirking Sayaka and growls.

"It slipped, okay! It accidentally hit my leg!"

Sayaka raises an eyebrow. "Which was it? Did it slip? Or did it hit your leg?"

"Both!"

Sayaka grins and stands to her feet. "Let me show you how it's done, 'Crimson Devil.'" She takes deliberate steps towards the lane, though when she glances over her shoulder, she's disappointed to find that Kyouko is talking to Homura.

Her earlier bravado deflates, and she walks a lot less enthusiastically.

Kyouko taps on Homura's leg to gain her attention. "Okay, so, now that we're getting rid of teams, do you want to try another bet?"

Homura is watching a bowler two lanes over and frowns even though she isn't facing her. "...Perhaps you are the one with the gambling addiction."

Kyouko throws her arm against the back of the chairs. "Eh, it's just boring, playing for fun. I need something more exciting. Something to get my blood pumping."

Homura finally turns to her. "I believe you are in the wrong place if you are looking for excitement in a bowling alley..."

Kyouko shrugs. "They got the best cheese fries in Tokyo." Her eyes suddenly light up. "Wait, now that Mami is here..."

Homura watches as she reaches for the menus on the nearby table.

"You should order something too," Kyouko says as she hands her one of the screens. "That's probably why you were feeling dizzy. If I'm hungry I always feel kind of light headed myself. I recommend the cheese fries."

"'Wow, Sayaka! You got a strike! You're amazing!'"

They both turn as Sayaka slides into the seat next to Kyouko.

"I could totally smoke you in pool," Kyouko grumbles after she double checks the score: Sayaka is definitely in the lead now.

"Uh huh..."

Homura ignores their bickering, instead concentrating on the menu as they still needed to wait for Madoka to return.

She is starting to feel a bit hungry, and browses for something light to eat. The prices makes her pause, and her finger hovers over her potential selection as she debates.

There's two beeps nearby, and she glances over to see Kyouko's queue of fries and a slice of pizza on her screen.

Kyouko throws her a grin. "You can try some."

The thought of more greasy food sends her finger down, and when she looks up, she finds Kyouko scowling.

"Rabbit food? Seriously? You're ordering a salad? Don't tell me, you're one of those skinny girls who always think they need to be on a diet?"

Kyouko looks absolutely offended, and Homura blinks at her reaction.

"We had pizza earlier. I need to offset the salt intake," she explains, though she's not sure why. At Kyouko's expression, she adds in a bit more. "It's not good for my blood pressure."

Kyouko stares. "Huh." She looks away, brow furrowed lightly. "You sick, or something?"

"...Or something."

"I see."

Another strange reaction.

Homura isn't curious enough though, and lets that conversation fade away. Luckily for them, Madoka and Mami finally return.

"I apologize," Mami tells them, polite smile on her lips. "There was a bit of a hold up at the register."

Homura notices she's a bit shorter now that her heels have been replaced by bowling shoes.

Mami brushes her ponytail back, suddenly seeming nervous. "Since you four bowled three frames earlier, the attendant said I could just bowl three frames to fill up the score. Does anyone mind if...?"

Kyouko waves her away. "Hurry up! The longer you stand here being wishy washy, the longer we have to wait!"

Mami frowns. "Kyouko..."

"Ah," Sayaka holds out her hands with a smile. "It's fine Mami-san! Just bowl what you need to! We'll gladly wait!"

Madoka nods. "See? I told you it'll be fine, Mami-san!"

Another smile from Mami. "Thank you. I'll be quick..."

With Mami now deciding on which ball to use, Madoka takes one look at the occupied seat by Homura and pouts.

No one notices—as Kyouko and Sayaka are now arguing about something, and Homura has her attention once more towards the lanes.

Madoka walks over, and the familiar whiff of strawberry is Homura's only warning before she plops down into her lap.

"Madoka...?" Homura knows there's another set of empty chairs right across from them, but Madoka merely makes herself comfortable.

"Hmm?"

Recognizing that tone, Homura sighs in resignation. "...Nothing." Her hands slip around Madoka's waist, and she tries her best to ignore how warm her face feels.

/

They're starting their 5th frame, Madoka now finishing her turn, when Homura leans forward in her seat. "Crimson Devil, you still feel like making a bet...?"

Kyouko is sitting on the other side with Mami and looks at her curiously. "Yeah? You stepping up?"

Homura points to the screen. "If you can beat Tomoe-san's score, I'll pay for your dinner."

"..."

Homura turns back to see Madoka pull of a spare. She watches as she claps once in excitement, before she whirls around, pink eyes shining, lips tugged into a grin.

Homura stands to take her turn. "Congratulations, Madoka," she says as she approaches her with both hands held up.

Madoka's grin widens as she claps their hands together. "Thanks, Homura-chan! Good luck!"

"Mm..."

Homura looks to the screen: she's getting better, but she's still last. She pauses at Mami's score, and turns back, searching for crimson. As if sensing her gaze, Kyouko's eyes locks on her, and Homura responds by deliberately pointing at the screen.

Kyouko scowls, arms crossing against her chest. "How 'bout, if you break 100 I'll pay for your rabbit food?" she shouts from her seat.

Homura takes a moment to considers this. She tilts her head, as if for confirmation, and Kyouko smirks in challenge.

Five frames in, Homura is currently at 36.

Homura points to her name, and nods in acceptance. Once she's sure Kyouko has agreed, she turns around, wide steps taking her to the ball return. The brightly coloured bowling ball is in her hands as she strides over to the lane.

Her eyes flicker down to the small arrows painted past the foul line. She memorizes the position on where to release the ball, and, finally, she moves.

Two steps, arm swinging back. The slight slide as her left leg is placed in front of her right, arm now swung forward on the third step. Her hand releases the ball, though this time, she doesn't bother twisting her wrist.

She straightens out, and without bothering to watch it roll down, she turns around.

A brief moment, before there's the rattling sounds as all the pins fall. She flicks her hair behind her, a small smile on her lips as Kyouko's jaw drops.

Madoka immediately jumps up from her seat to congratulate her. Homura braces for impact, hands lightly resting against Madoka's waist as she's hugged tightly.

"Congratulations, Homura-chan! Your first strike!"

"Thank you, Madoka."

Kyouko scowls. "Beginner's luck. Let's see if you can do that again.**"**

Homura turns to her. "Would you like to make another be**t?"**

* * *

**AN: **Boooo. This chapter took longer than expected. But, yes, Mami is here! I don't know what the plans are for this story, which is why I find it kind of hard to write for. Also, boo descriptions! Boo everything!

Busy, so busy. Or maybe, I'm just really slow at editing. Ugh.

As always, thanks for reading/reviewing!

The Adventures of Purple Eggplant and Pink Bunny coming to a tumblr near you.

Maybe.


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